Democrats reintroduce plan to expand Supreme Court

Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate have reintroduced a plan to expand the Supreme Court from the current nine justices to 13 justices.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), one of the sponsors of the legislation, accused Republicans of hijacking the nomination process for justices while also stealing the majority on the high court.

HOW THE SUPREME COURT COULD BE FORCED TO WADE INTO BIDEN DEBT CEILING FIGHT

“Republicans have hijacked the confirmation process and stolen the Supreme Court majority — all to appeal to far-right judicial activists who for years have wanted to wield the gavel to roll back fundamental rights,” Markey said.

“Each scandal uncovered, each norm broken, each precedent-shattering ruling delivered is a reminder that we must restore justice and balance to the rogue, radical Supreme Court. It is time we expand the court,” he added.

The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, but the addition of four justices appointed by President Joe Biden would likely flip the ideological balance of the court.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), one of the co-sponsors in the House, said the current Supreme Court is a “cesspool of corruption” and called for the legislation arguing it would help “reclaim our democracy.”

“The Supreme Court is a cesspool of corruption devastating our communities. Because of the decisions made by an unethical and illegitimate majority, my constituents are unable to access abortion care, have weaker labor protections, are more vulnerable to voter suppression, and are subjected to a racist legal system,” Bush said.

“As lawmakers, we have a mandate to ensure our rights are not stripped away by bought-and-paid-for judges trying to implement a fascist agenda. I’m proud to lead on the reintroduction of the Judiciary Act, which would expand the court and help us reclaim our democracy once and for all,” she added.

Other co-sponsors of the legislation include Sens. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). The bill closely matches a previous piece of legislation that did not receive a vote in either chamber in the previous Congress.

Many Democratic lawmakers supporting the bill pointed to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and sent abortion policy back to the states, along with the allegations of undisclosed gifts from Harlan Crow, a Dallas-based real estate developer and GOP donor, to Justice Clarence Thomas.

The president of the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America, Mini Timmaraju, praised the proposed legislation.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Reproductive freedom is facing a crisis that requires action and creative solutions to protect our fundamental rights. The damage wreaked on our federal judiciary by Republicans won’t be easily undone, and we need all of our options on the table, including Supreme Court expansion. We commend Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Hank Johnson for their bold leadership on the Judiciary Act, and we look forward to continue fighting to restore the legitimacy of the court,” Timmaraju said

The law is unlikely to go anywhere in either the House or the Senate, with Republicans holding a majority in the House and Democrats not having a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.