Democrats Issue Call to Expand SCOTUS in Wake of Roe v. Wade Draft Opinion Leak

Don PalumboMay 5, 2022

Democratic lawmakers are calling for more seats to be added to the United States Supreme Court. This comes after Politico leaked a draft opinion for the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturns landmark case Roe v. Wade.

In a lengthy Twitter thread, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) said that “we must expand the court to restore the legitimacy of the institution and protect the rights of millions.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said that overturning Roe would “fly in the face of decades of precedent.”

Overturning Roe would put the lives of women across the country at risk. It would fly in the face of decades of precedent and the overwhelming majority of public opinion. And they will not stop here.

Expand the court. https://t.co/EDktEETxvb

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 3, 2022

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) said it’s “not too late” to add four more seats to the Supreme Court.

To my colleagues: It’s not too late to support the only policy that would restore sanity to this broken Court. It’s not too late to add four seats.

— Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) May 3, 2022

Democratic Rep. Andy Levin released an official statement calling for the expansion of the Supreme Court.

“A ruling that fully overturns Roe v. Wade (or even severely undermines it) will affect millions of lives—including many trans and non-binary people. States have already enacted legislation to criminalize abortion providers and patients,” the statement read. “The Senate must abolish the filibuster and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe immediately and we must reform and expand the Supreme Court.”

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said the leak “reiterated” that the Court needs to be expanded.

The leak from SCOTUS tonight reiterated 3 things for me that we need to do:

1. ABOLISH the Filibuster
2. EXPAND the Courts
3. RATIFY the ERA#RoeVsWade

— Carolyn B. Maloney (@CarolynBMaloney) May 3, 2022