Lawmakers Seek Live Audio of Landmark Supreme Court Rulings

A bipartisan, bicameral group of Senators and House members has asked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to provide live audio from the court's upcoming rulings on cases involving the Affordable Care Act and same sex marriage. In a letter, the Senators praised the court's practice of releasing same-day transcripts and end-of-the week audio, and more recently to release same-day audio in some recent cases. But they said that it would enhance transparency to provide live audio of the "public proceedings" of court sessions, including both the reading of decisions at the beginning of those sessions and the subsequent oral arguments on other cases.

"We continue to believe that the Court should permit live video broadcasts and support bipartisan legislation to make that happen," they added. Given that millions of individuals will be watching closely for the healthcare and same-sex marriage rulings, they said, "the Court should provide the American people the opportunity to hear in real time the arguments and opinions that will shape our society for years to come." The legislators pointed out that the other two branches of government can be accessed thanks to C-SPAN and online streaming, but that the judicial branch remains "almost completely closed from the public eye."