WASHINGTON (AP) — Recently retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has become the honorary co-chair of a nonpartisan group dedicated to educating about the Constitution, joining Justice Neil Gorsuch in a of intense political polarization and growing skepticism about the independence of the court.
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia said Thursday that Breyer and Gorsuch, who has served since 2019, will serve as spokespersons for civic education and civility in politics.
The judges’ decision to work together “is especially meaningful in this polarized time,” said Jeffrey Rosen, the center’s president and CEO.
Breyer, 84, retired at the end of June after nearly 28 years as a justice. Her seat was filled by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman on the high court.
Breyer has been a consistent voice for viewing the court as something other than “politicians in robes,” even as the court has issued a series of conservative-driven decisions culminating in eliminating the constitutional right to abortion and overturning Roe v. Wade.
In recent months, the court with six conservative Republican appointees and three liberal Democratic appointees has also expanded gun rights, weakened the separation of church and state and restricted the Biden administration’s efforts to combat climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.
Gorsuch was in most of these cases and Breyer, in dissent.
Challenges to affirmative action in education and key election-related cases highlight the term that begins in October and looks likely to produce sharper divisions along ideological lines.
“Despite strong disagreements on the court, Justices Breyer and Gorsuch, like all their colleagues, are united around a shared belief that civility is necessary for the future of the republic,” Rosen said.
Recent public opinion polls have showed a sharp drop in approval of the court and its role as an institution that is above the political fray.
Still, Breyer told a bar convention in Chicago last week that he remains optimistic about the American legal system.
In a statement, he said, “The nonpartisan work of the National Constitution Center is essential, and I look forward to working with Judge Gorsuch to promote civil dialogue and debate.”
Breyer will also return to teach at Harvard Law School.
Past presidents of the center have included President Joe Biden, who resigned as he launched his 2019 presidential campaign, and former presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush.
Center House in Philadelphia is near the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Constitution was drafted.
