Wednesday, January 14, 2026

How the Supreme Court Broke Congress

Duncan Hosie: Two dynamics are fundamentally reshaping the structure and functioning of the American government.

Posted by qcp at 07:31 AM | 7 COMMENTS | permalink

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"Two dynamics are fundamentally reshaping the structure and functioning of the American government"--and they share a root cause, Duncan Hosie argues.

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-- The Atlantic (@theatlantic.com) Jan 13, 2026 at 8:45 AM

Comments

Interesting thread. Hopefully it gains some traction.

#1 | Posted by BellRinger at 2026-01-13 12:27 PM

Interesting thread. Hopefully it gains some traction.

#1 | Posted by BellRinger

For once we agree.

Good article on how Conservaives Justices have become super activist and set themselves up as Super Legislatures overturning Congress on flimsy pretenses unrelated to the Constitution and Precedent.

And it all goes back to Reagan trying to appoint Extreme Rightwing Justices rather than Justices who follow the Law.

The Right really has ruined this country thanks to people like Jeff Bellringer.

#2 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-01-14 05:29 PM

#2. On controversial issues there is never ANY doubt as to how the lefties on SCOTUS will vote. For Democrats, SCOTUS was viewed as a super legislative body. Why go through the messy effort of legislation and compromise when the court can be used as the law of the land? With a true conservative majority almost all of their rulings allow for a legislative remedy for left wing policy aims. Problem is, that requires *horrors* winning elections and then legislating. That is hard work. Democrats hate having to work for their policies.

#3 | Posted by BellRinger at 2026-01-14 05:53 PM

#3 bell boi says, "Democrats hate having to work for their policies."

Trump on Texas redistricting: 'We are entitled to 5 more seats'
A lot of working for the Trumpf's policies there!

#4 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-14 05:57 PM

#3 I guess bell boi thinks that all of this is due to SCOTUS decisions:

- 19th Amendment | Women's right to vote

- Apollo 11 | First manned moon mission (and all of the value-added innovations)

- Social Security | Social insurance program

- Medicare | Health insurance for seniors

- NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organization - the political and military alliance between the US, Canada and Europe

- Medicaid | Health care program for low income people

- Securities and Exchange Act Law | Oversee the trading of securities and protect investors

- Rural Electrification Act | Federal loans for the installation of electricity to serve rural areas

- Peace Corps | American volunteers promoting friendship, goodwill and peace around the world

- Unemployment Benefits | Temporary payments to the unemployed

- Fair Labor Standards Act | Ending the cruel practice of child labor

- Servicemen's Readjustment Act | The GI Bill, which has benefited millions of returning soldiers

- Federal Home Loan Program | Guaranteed loans that allowed millions of Americans to become homeowners

- National Industrial Recovery Act | 8 hour workday, minimum wage, paid overtime, and the right to collective bargaining

- National School Lunch Act | Free or low-cost meals for children who might otherwise go hungry

- 1965 Voting Rights Act | Prohibits discrimination in voting

- National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis | Forerunner of the March of Dimes

- Head Start Program | Comprehensive services for low income families

- 1964 Civil Rights Act | Prohibits discrimination and protects civil rights

- Marshall Plan European Recovery Act | Rebuilt a secure and peaceful Europe after World War II

- Financial Aid for Higher Education Loans | Guaranteed student loans that enabled over 50 million Americans to receive a college education

- Family and Medical Leave Act | Temporary unpaid leave and job protection to employees " for qualified medical and family reasons

- Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act | Protect workers against pay discrimination

- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Health care reform: Preventive care screening, lower prescription drug costs, protection for pre-existing conditions among many other benefits

- American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Pandemic recovery, economic stimulus payments, free vaccines, funeral expense assistance, expanded child tax credits, block grants for schools, funds for small business and many other benefits

To be fair, let's see what the GOPyers have given us:
- a $37.000,000,000,000.00 debt

- free taxpayer money to the uber wealthy

So there is that.

#5 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-14 06:02 PM

#2. On controversial issues there is never ANY doubt as to how the lefties on SCOTUS will vote. For Democrats, SCOTUS was viewed as a super legislative body. Why go through the messy effort of legislation and compromise when the court can be used as the law of the land? With a true conservative majority almost all of their rulings allow for a legislative remedy for left wing policy aims. Problem is, that requires *horrors* winning elections and then legislating. That is hard work. Democrats hate having to work for their policies.

#3 | Posted by BellRinger

It's literally an article about the Supreme Court's rightwing becoming a super legislature, ignoring the Constitution, ignoring precedent, and inserting itself into law making instead of Congress...and you whine about Democrat lawmakers.

You can't even address it.

How stupid are you? Or are you just admitting the Supreme Court is out of control under rightwing Justices?

#6 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-01-15 10:22 AM

"For Democrats, SCOTUS was viewed as a super legislative body"

Like this isn't the case for Republicans.
The Supreme Court acted like Congress when they repealed Chevron.
The Supreme Court acted like Congress when they repealed VRA.

#7 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-15 10:30 AM

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