CNN —The Supreme Court returns to Washington to face a new term and the fresh reality that critics increasingly view the court as a political body. Earlier this year, Roberts declined an invitation to appear before the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss Supreme Court ethics, citing separation of powers concerns. Even if he did believe a formal ethics code is necessary, it’s unclear whether he would need a unanimous vote to move forward. Instead, they say, critics of the court are manufacturing a controversy to delegitimize the institution and staunch the flow of conservative opinions. Last week, she told an audience in Indiana that she thought it would be a “good” idea if the court were to adapt the ethics code used by lower court justices to fit the Supreme Court.

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Persons: Donald Trump’s, Roe, Wade, John Roberts, Roberts, Joe Biden’s, ”, Justice Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, “, ” Kagan, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, ” Cate Stetson, Hogan Lovells, Dick Durbin, Durbin, recuses, Carrie Severino, Alito, forthrightly, ” Alito, “ I’ve, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Conservative, Cato Institute, Democrat, Judicial, Crisis Network Locations: Washington, Congress, Indiana, Lake Geneva , Wisconsin, Ohio