Binding Supreme Court Ethics Code

What this plank asks for

Congress would pass a law that sets a binding, enforceable code of ethics for U.S. Supreme Court justices. The code would require justices to disclose gifts and travel. It would also set standards for when a justice must step aside from a case. Voters who pledge to back signers can then check every signer's vote on it.

Where it stands

QUALIFIED

This plank was PENDING under the earlier criteria, with two admitted pollsters. Under the final criteria ratified October 16, 2026, three admitted pollsters count, and their medians are 79% nationally, 77% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats. The founder reviewed this status change and accepted it on October 19, 2026. Congressional term limits holds the same status. No plank is adopted before the Review Window, and this page does not hide that.

What moves it: adoption during the Review Window, which runs from November 4, 2026 to February 1, 2027.

The evidence

Using the newest poll from each admitted pollster, no poll falls under a floor. The counted polls span July 17, 2024 to September 9, 2026, which is 25 months. The recency rule needs one admitted poll with fieldwork on or after October 16, 2025. Marquette (September 2026) and YouGov (May 2026) meet it. The Annenberg poll is 15 months old.

Republican results differ by up to 26 points between pollsters. We checked the wording. Every question is policy only and names no person or party. Pollsters that offer "not sure" or "neither" show lower numbers. Among Republicans who gave an opinion, the gaps shrink to 14 points or less. The founder reviewed this check along with the status change on October 19, 2026. Annenberg writes its own questions. SSRS collects the answers for both Annenberg and Marquette. No admitted poll asks about gift and travel disclosure alone.

The five tests

• Consensus: PASS. Three admitted pollsters, 25 months of span, and medians of 79%, 77% and 86%.
• Action: PASS. Congress can pass a law that sets a binding code.
• Outcome: PASS. The floor action is a recorded vote, and compliance shows in disclosure filings and recusal records.
• Grading: PASS. Every lever below leaves a public record.
• Single-Subject: PASS. The plank asks for one outcome, a binding code. Disclosure and recusal are parts of it.

In Congress right now

Seven bills in the 119th Congress sit in committee. None has had a hearing, a markup or a floor vote. Not one cosponsor is a Republican. No vehicle check has been run, so each shows "no determination yet." The latest action on each is referral to Judiciary.

• H.R. 3513 (Rep. Johnson, D-GA), introduced May 20, 2025. 96 cosponsors, all Democrats.
• S. 1814 (Sen. Whitehouse, D-RI), introduced May 20, 2025. 35 cosponsors, 34 Democrats and Sen. Sanders, an independent.
• S. 5121 (Sen. Murphy, D-CT), introduced July 23, 2026. 14 cosponsors, 13 Democrats and Sen. Sanders.
• H.R. 7692 (Rep. Goldman, D-NY) and S. 3914 (Sen. Booker, D-NJ), introduced February 25, 2026. 10 and 5 cosponsors, all Democrats.
• H.R. 1811 (Rep. Stansbury, D-NM), introduced March 3, 2025, and S. 5618 (Sen. Blumenthal, D-CT), introduced September 30, 2026. 13 and 8 cosponsors, all Democrats.

On June 12, 2024, in the 118th Congress, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) objected to a request to pass a Senate ethics bill by unanimous consent.

Bill numbers above belong to the 119th Congress. They expire when the 120th Congress is seated in January 2027. The plank does not.

How signers would be graded

Each signer gets one verdict, KEPT or BROKE. It rests on recorded votes and actions on the levers their chamber gives them. You can check each one on the Report Card.

House levers: sign a discharge petition, vote on rules and previous-question motions, vote on the floor, and vote in the Judiciary Committee where votes are recorded.

Senate levers: vote on cloture, vote on the floor, vote in the Judiciary Committee where votes are recorded, and consent or object when unanimous consent is sought. No confirmation standard applies.

The House needs a simple majority. The Senate needs 60 of 100 votes to end debate, then a simple majority. The President signs or vetoes. A veto needs two thirds of each chamber to override.

Lines of attack and our answers

Attack: Republicans only back this when pollsters leave out a "not sure" option.
Answer: YouGov offers "not sure." In May 2026, 77% of Republicans there still said support and 15% said oppose.

Attack: The Court already has an ethics code.
Answer: The Court adopted a code in November 2023 and it has no way to enforce it. The polls ask about enforcing a code.

Attack: Congress cannot bind a separate branch of government.
Answer: The plank names the outcome and leaves the method to Congress. That is a legal question, not a polling one. The Pledge grades votes.

Attack: Every sponsor is a Democrat, so this is a party bill.
Answer: The Pledge grades recorded votes, not sponsors. Republican voters back the outcome at 62% to 91% across the counted polls.

Attack: No poll asked about gift and travel disclosure.
Answer: That is true. One poll asked about recusal, and 83% of Republicans backed it. The founder reviewed this gap with the status change on October 19, 2026.

Sources

1. Marquette Sept 2026 toplines: law.marquette.edu
2. Marquette Sept 2026 crosstabs: law.marquette.edu
3. Marquette Oct 2024 release: law.marquette.edu
4. Marquette Oct 2024 questionnaire: law.marquette.edu
5. YouGov May 2026: d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net
6. YouGov July 2025: d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net
7. YouGov July 2024: ygo-assets-websites-editorial-emea.yougov.net
8. Annenberg topline: annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org
9. Annenberg release: annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org
10. Navigator Research: navigatorresearch.org
11. Change Research: changeresearch.com
12. Silver Bulletin ratings: natesilver.net
13. AAPOR Transparency Initiative: aapor.org
14. Roper Center, Annenberg studies: ropercenter.cornell.edu
15. Bill record, 119th Congress, example: congress.gov
16. Senate Judiciary release, June 13, 2024: judiciary.senate.gov

Last updated October 19, 2026. Criteria version: Draft 3, ratified October 16, 2026.