Sierra Club Statement on Conclusion of Supreme Court Term

WASHINGTON, DC --  Today, the Supreme Court issued its final decisions of the term, ending a tumultuous few months marked by the conservative majority sharply limiting the reach of the Clean Water Act, overturning race-based Affirmative Action for higher education, ruling that small businesses can sometimes discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans, refusing to establish Navajo Nation water rights to the Colorado River, and ending student loan forgiveness.

This term also ends after months of reports detailing several of the Justices’ previously undisclosed conflicts of interest. The Senate is expected to introduce legislation that will create a Code of Ethics for the Supreme Court, the only federal court in the country not already bound by such a code.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous issued the following statement:

“While the Supreme Court’s term may have come to an end, their many extreme decisions this year stand to affect millions of Americans for years to come. Their actions will erode basic human and civil rights. 

“As the highest judicial body in the country, the Supreme Court has a great and solemn responsibility to uphold the values of our Constitution, respect precedent, and keep faith with the letter and spirit of the nation’s core public health, environmental, civil rights, and labor laws. What we have seen this term is clearly out of step with that responsibility.  

“Judges and Justices matter. Courts matter. Not only for our ability to achieve our environmental priorities but for the lives of everyone in America. It is imperative that President Biden continue nominating and the Senate continue confirming fair and just judges to the federal courts. And in order to restore the public’s faith in the Supreme Court, the Court – or if they continue to refuse, Congress – must adopt a formal Code of Ethics for the Justices.”