>> c-span, history unfolds daily. 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's companies.ision that is brought to you today by or satellite provider. > "washington journal" continues. host: the senate judiciary committee is meeting later today to talk about nomination of neil gorsuch to the supreme court. today, we coming up have this question for you, our viewers, to end our program. should supreme court justices have lifetime appointments? democrats, 202-748-8000, if you want to call. republicans, 202-748-8001. independents, 202-748-8002. in, james alling tish, in today's "u.s.a. today," writes about one possible way to

end lifetime appointments for the supreme court. james tish, president and c.e.o. of lowe's corporation, he asks the column today, do we want any president who served at most eight year necessary office to power to shape the sxourt therefore the country for 30 years or more? we are headed and implications are troubling. served the justices have 20 years with anthony kennedy pacing the group at 29 years. with life expectancy rising, it isn't hard to imagine neil serving intois 49, the middle of this century. foundersevelopment our didn't foresee when they provided lifetime appointment for the supreme court. appointments probably didn't seem like issue when average retirement age was 60, was case with first 10 justices. e goes on in his column today to propose possible solution, justices should be limited to says.-year term, he the terms would be staggered so every two year necessary june of

he president's first and third year in office, the justice's term would end and the president to d appoint certificate ratification new justice. after 18 years, nine-member supreme court would turn over entirely. according to the noted supreme powell, 18 year system long enough to do the job and do it well and guarantee independence, while short enough to avoid problems that life tenure creates. about life tenure for supreme court justices. democrats,e numbers, 202-748-8000. 202-748-8001. independents, 202-748-8002. up first, new york, a republican. good morning. caller: good morning, i'm not in favor of lifetime appointment to supreme court, i think there is an end to a nd judicial position. be an age re should and i f 80 years of age

do thank them for service, that doesn't mean they are not apable, but i think after serving such a long time -- with a very tough job, and let e to move on someone else take the seat. thank you very much. 80 years of ould age be cut off no matter how old were ice is, when they appointed and confirmed? thatif it is a 79-year-old is confirmed? caller: i haven't seen that done ately, i don't think a 79 year old would be on the supreme court. i think for the judicial branch that 80 year old measure should be across the board, state judges, state judges and supreme court judges. and federal judges. host: all right. with his thoughts in new york. texas, in temple, democrat, good morning.

caller: i do not feel like justices should be a lifetime appointment. they should be limited. why is that? like : because i feel there are, i feel like they need new people and it is for a governor, long time for a judge to be in long time.s a i believe that after a while, ou know, the decisions are not as effective. host: okay, let's go to paul in northport, alabama. independent, paul, good morning. an attorney. i'm in my 60s. 've seen many judges over the years. that only -- ieve

limit hould be a 10-year to serve state and federal appointed and elected. smart re many, many attorneys who can step in to really don't need judgeships to be political ootballs and cutting number of years would help. host: paul, if you go with the appointment, or president consist serve eight years at most, do you think that a justice too much to the political state and of certain ims administration? because 10 years, you're going to have high in judges and so assuming you have high turnover administrations, it it out.m to even

"u.s.a. es tish in today" is proposing 18-year term for supreme court justices. appointments e would require new constitutional sxhaement it has been 25 years recent amendment was ratified. he said no less figure than roberts tice john supported 15-year terms for all federal judges, writing it would judges would not lose all touch with reality hrough decade of ivory tower existence and providing greater degree of turnover among the judges. amendmentnstitutional might seem radical, the system breakdown.e of they refused a hearing for hearing of garland, this year some were out against made it.ick before he it will not get better any time soon, time to reinvigerate ending lifetime limits for supreme court ustices, no one should have

guaranteed life-long job. is in "u.s.a. today." jay in prince frederick, maryland, independent. good morning. caller: good morning, how are you? host: doing well. 100% believe in term limits, not just for the supreme ourt, for the president, which exists. but for congressmen, also. i believe the biggest problem in washington k s the fact that you have these past generational congressmen in the house and the senate. i mean, if the president has to have an eight-year limit, so should definitely the house. that is our biggest problem right now, i believe. clearwater, kansas. morning.d caller: yes. on this particular issue, i looking at some of he rulings the supreme court itself has made, in particular,

airline pilots. they ruled number of years ago limited to a 65.cific age, i think it was someone told me recently that was changed to 70, but they way and they think it is good for airline pilots to mandatory retirement age, then certainly the thinking that it would be good for the supreme court to have kind of limit due to ofancement of age and method thinking and their legal analysis of everything. is.t's where my opinion host: what would the upper limit be for you, art? you make it, set that limit at? 70 is a good k year, good age all around, some can function se ell beyond that, i met many people that could not. host: that is art, clearwater,

kansas. meeting of the senate judiciary committee is happening today at noon today. in entirety on c-span2. aspan.org, c-span radio app, well, discussing the neil gorsuch nomination, along with brand, ein and rachel they may vote on brandon but do not expect to vote on neil gorsuch today. hat will be held until april 3rd and full senate is hoping to vote on gorsuch nomination easter recess, that is majority, see the what happens in the coming days. connecticut, aven, democrat. good morning. caller: good morning, how are you? well. doing caller: i think supreme court justices should be chosen every six-year changed to terms.

host: you think that makes it too political? one of the big arguments for a shorter term. caller: no, i think it adds to the system. i don't think there should be an limit, either. -- you know, the in the legal system, when people get more they experience, if there is a guy elected or ho gets appointed into office, he's going to have more experience who is 50 and somebody who is 50 might benefit generations. host: okay. caller: i think we should have more wider variety of people, limiting based on age and giving people lifetime appointments, we all know judges mistakes. over the course of 20 years, how many mistake consist they make? you know what i mean? host: all right, to chuck in california. a republican. chuck, good morning. caller: good morning.

i agree with paul from alabama. 10-year it should be a term and i'd like to have c-span there and do something, the questions on term limits. term limits in congress and in the senate is something that should be addressed. people have been there 20, 30, 35 years, they need to go, is all i got to say. host: carol olds, someone pposed to ending lifetime appointment. she says terrible idea to end lifetime appointment, politics nd money will seep into the highest of all courts. shirley in boulder, colorado, democrat. good morning. caller: good morning. we are ready at this time in our history for a convention toonal take into account all of these issues. you.k host: shirley, before you go, what other issues besides lifetime appointments would you to be taken up in the

convention? it to see like for us incorporate franklin new bill of rights into the convention. constitution.he host: what would be included in that, shirley? well, healthcare for ll, housing for everyone, different rights the american have come to count on over the years and they need have the jobson't o, you know, supply these for themselves. host: okay, 10 minutes left in our program today. might be story you hearing about today comes from the hill newspaper. story, as ring the well. senate intelligence committee reportedly question russian in the probe of medaling.

andident trump's son-in-law closest advisor about meetings with the russian ambassador. the times white house counsel office was told this month about the request. previously use acknowledged december meeting at between kushner and michael flynn. on potentialocused of better relationships between united states and russia. hat story getting some attention already this morning. banebridge ting in island, washington. morning. good caller: yes, good morning. by the we aren't abiding constitution. people that want a new one, they this one more by than they do this one. the ey wants free housing, cost of your home goes to epa regulation, do away with those can afford ple

homes. we havethe judge thing, good cause in our constitution judges.e these egypt,rg, when she was in she said she didn't really follow the constitution, she has.d follow more like -- well, she doesn't like our removedtion, she can be for that. there is judges whose wives own that their husbands sit cases, ench and review so what we need to do, we need constitution kids and get back to the constitution. balance, the judges should review the cases and interpret law, not make law. host: okay, cynthia, philadelphia, pennsylvania, good morning. caller: good morning. yes, i don't agree with the lifetime term appointment that judges have.

removed hey should be because every time you get a republican hether a r a democrat, the democrat wants democrat judge and a republican wants a republican don't think they should be in there for a lifetime. cynthia, did you get a chance to watch any of the neil gorsuch nomination last week? i did. yes, host: what was your takeaway of neil gorsuch? i was hearing he t some of the cases that oversight and judge thorn and he was for the corporate americans, i mean, he for the corporate people. he was for, you know, the and not for the employees and i think he's a like all of the place, that trump put in

they are billionaires and illionaires and they don't understand the problems of the poor people, just like he tried obamacare or the healthcare, know, strip a lot of poor peep and he will give the rich people more money, so -- bring it back to the hearings last week, what did judge gorsuch say that would you think he's a racist? his -- the use of made for ions that he employees, he was for the people.te so to me, if he's for the opposed to ople, as regular people, to me, i think that makes him a racist.

why would that make him a racist? caller: makes sense, does it? all right, i will retract that. that doesn't make him a racist, that back.ake i just think he's for the rich for the regular everyday working people, working-class people. host: okay. roger. here in washington, d.c., a democrat, good morning. morning.yes, yes, good how are you? would like to see end to especiallypointment, on the supreme court, it should be a 10-year term. it allows a president's influence to go far beyond the term they serve. they only serve eight years, why should they appoint a judge to sit for 25 or 30 years? it also, it allows a president's the deprives us of great legal mind fist we rotate, e can get different points of views. time changes and laws change and

interpretation of the laws change all the time. i would like rotation of judges and justices over 10-year period. think it would end a lot of guy that has strict stricter interpretation of the constitution, take out the angst nominations bring because of the stake and the fact it is lifetime appointment. thank you for allowing my called it. end, couple we headlines focusing on judge gorsuch. one from "wall street democrats weigh noting on gorsuch, democrats trying to decide if to go to the mat against judge orsuch or hold threat of filibuster as restraining force against mr. trump in case another vacancy arrives that have more profound effect on the court's direction. "wall street journal" today. the opinion page, president pro the senate has a piece

senator hatch. typically s are highly talented lawyers and udges, the senate role probe qualification and philosophy. he writes it is process is politics om partisan and talks about concern about democrats in the hearings last week, whatever their motivation, nomination ame duck during last year's election and unwillingness to accept november result or desire for judges to push liberal political agenda, decided to wage desperate campaign to nomination during last year's election and unwillingness derail the nomination, no matter the damage along the way. e are watching the confurthermoration process. in the "wall street journal." tom in springfield, pennsylvania, republican. should supreme court justices have lifetime

appointments? should not. i definitely agree with the lowe's, 18 or 20 years would be perfect. guys you for c-span, you are doing great job remaining i think n and lastly, democrat culous to be blocking gorsuch. biden and schumer both propose same action 10 or 12 years ago, the first to do it and they are acting like this is actions when ng nothing more biden and schumer both is being suggestedd biden once themselves. host: all right. maryland. democrat. good morning. caller: good morning. like i weigh in, i would to make a comment on what joe ago. said 10 or 12 years when he made those comments, it of june,toward the end it wasn't like march.

go you know, congress always out for 4th of july break, come out again, for summer break. time when riod of they go out for summer, they will come back right after labor day and during the election year, they go out in october, they wouldn't have had time. ti they go out for summer, they will come biden, senator biden said that, that was like the end of june. saying it wasn't apples to apples to what with merrick garland last year? caller: right. that appointment was made in march. it is three-month difference may, june,ch, april, see what i'm saying? when senator biden made those june.ts, it was in it wasn't in march. so people need to get their straight on that. as far as limiting the supreme ourt justice, i believe 10 years is good, but although it

years, it might make us pay a lot of money in pension, people who many would be eligible to collect a pension. got one person, you only gone one person to deal with. people in and three 10 years tenure, that is more people collecting pension. you. host: last today on "washington journal," cherokee village, independent. walter, good morning. caller: good morning. that there should be some term limits and 70 or 75 would probably be enough, but i have another problem with the supreme court, like -- i don't know how they get a change, i would think that five to four decision is no decision at all and if they ould increase that to at least six to three decision, we'd get better decisions. thank you. walter, last caller on today's "washington journal."

we'll see you right back here morning at 7 a.m. eastern 4 a.m. pacific. great meantime, have a monday. >> the senate judiciary committee is meeting at noon today to take up three of president trump's nominees. the first will be supreme court nominee neil gorsuch, who wrapped up his confirmation hearings last week.

today, we expect the committee to hold a vote on his nomination . two other nominees today -- ron rosenstein for deputy attorney general, and rachel ran for associate attorney general. on the bill your of the republican bill to replace the affordable care act, the house is back on session today, beginning at 2:00 eastern. members will consider three bills dealing with national disaster preparedness at fema. tomorrow, the house will take up the measure on broadband providers' ability to share customer information. u.s. senate will gavel in at 3:00 eastern to debate adding montenegro to the 28 member nato alliance. the senators will vote at 5:30 eastern on advancing that measure. i used to think the hardest

thing i would ever have to do is look into the eyes of a child, and listen to her story about being abused. i was wrong. the hardest thing i ever had to --was watch their abuse sometimes still photos, sometimes video, sometimes with sound, all heart wrenching. and even now, impossible to forget. >> agriculture secretary nominee sonny perdue. purdue: farmer struggling to be profitable hold on, not able to produce a product even with the best production capabilities they may have. i think trade is really the answer. >> chris matthews at the first amendment awards dinner. matthews: the truth contained in hard news, the truth that arrives on the front page or the straight news broadcast, is what contains the politicians. that is what stops the overreach in power. and that is what the country takes seriously, and that is

what matters this hour, this week, this time in our lives. >> treasury secretary steve mnuchin on conference of tax reform. : the goals oftion tax reform, about trading a middle income tax cut, about creating personal tax simplification, and making u.s. businesses competitive, where we have a very high business tax rate, worldwide income -- we are able to take the tax code and redesign things. >> ceo ian read on pharmaceutical costs. using the exchanges because the exchanges do not provide them access. i think we do need to reform the health care, the way it is delivered, and the comfort to patients. >> and epa administrator scott pruitt on environmental policy. prewitt: there are exciting things going on in technology across the globe and in the nuclear space, but not here.

happening inis europe presently, because of the disincentives we put into play in this country with respect to nuclear. if you really care about some of these environmental concerns, nuclear ought to be in the mix. >> c-span programs are available at c-span.org, on our homepage and researching the video library. ♪ ♪ >> c-span -- where history unfolds daily. 1970 nine, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television countries. it is brought to you today by your cable or satellite provider. treasury secretary steve mnuchin last week sat down for an interview with journalist mike allen. president'sed the trade agenda, overhauling the tax code and health care bill. the interview was from before house speaker paul ryan