A bill to increase the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court from 9 to 13 has gained a new co-sponsor in the Senate: Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.). The bill had previously been introduced by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who hailed his colleague’s newly established support for the effort. The number of justices on the court has changed several times throughout its existence, and most recently, concern has arisen due to the court’s right-wing slant, which is the product of political machinations by Republicans.
Towards the end of the Obama presidency, Senate Republicans refused to even host hearings for his pick for a newly vacant seat on the court, leaving it to Trump to fill. At the time, Senate Republicans cited the upcoming election. As Trump’s presidency drew to a close, Senate Republicans rushed to fill a newly vacant seat that had become empty much closer to that year’s presidential election, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. Republicans explained their apparent shifting perspective by pointing to that the Senate and White House were now controlled by the same political party, meaning that they perceived a mandate that was not there previously. Many observers might say that they just made it all up, however.
Noting that “Republicans have been working to politicize the U.S. Supreme Court for 40 years, with the help of dark money and the Federalist Society,” Smith pointedly commented as follows:
‘Allowing Texas’ extreme ban on abortion to stand is just the latest demonstration that much of the current Court has become dangerously unmoored from any reasonable principles of legal analysis. Doing nothing is not an option – we need to abolish to the filibuster and reform and expand the Court. We have to pass The Judiciary Act to restore the U.S. Supreme Court back to reflecting our nation’s principles and core beliefs.’
Expanding the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to gain broader traction among Congressional Democrats. In the meantime, they’re focused on raising the debt ceiling and funding the federal government for the near future. Read more at this link.
