Biden Tells '60 Minutes' How He Plans to Change the Court Process

Cortney O'Brien | October 22, 2020 9:50 AM

Forget trying to get a straight answer out of Democratic nominee Joe Biden on court packing. But it sounds like the former vice president finally has some kind of response to the question. In a recent sit down with CBS's Norah O'Donnell for "60 Minutes," Biden still didn't offer a "yes "or "no" on adding more justices to the Supreme Court, but he did share how he plans to "reform" the court process.

"If elected, what I'll do is I'll put together a bipartisan Commission of Constitutional Scholars - Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives - and I will ask them to over 180 days come back to me with recommendations as to how to reform the court system," Biden shared.

Because, he said, it's "getting out of whack."

WATCH: In an interview with Joe Biden for @60Minutes, @CBSEveningNews' @NorahODonnell pressed Biden on his position on so-called "court packing." It's a controversial proposal that would add justices to the Supreme Court, from its current nine.

More Sunday on @CBS. pic.twitter.com/iFvatE6ZP6
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) October 22, 2020

O'Donnell pursued what that meant. Again, does that mean he'll pack the court?

"There's a number of alternatives that go well beyond packing," he said. Whatever that means.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Communications Director Jesse Hunt said voters should be "incredibly concerned" by that answer.

"Voters should be incredibly concerned Democrats are considering any reforms to the Supreme Court, much less reforms that go further than court packing," Hunt said in a statement on Thursday. "Biden's answer on this issue shows just how far to the left he's being pushed by the most liberal members of his party, and Senate Democrats are riding shotgun on this radical takeover attempt."

This whole debate over court packing began, of course, because of the current confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. She is one step closer to the Court having just been voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats who last week were so concerned that her presence on the Supreme Court would make it the most conservative bench in half a century didn't even bother to show up to vote.