WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — Democrats are renewing their push to expand the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, saying it would be a more accurate reflection of the country.
Senator Ed Markey and Representative Hank Johnson are leading the effort to expand the high court.
“Let’s start with undoing the Republican’s thievery and adding four seats to the court,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said.
“A six-three far-right super majority on the United States Supreme Court threatens our rights our democracy and our planet,” Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) added. “Republicans captured the court against the will of most Americans.”
Democrats say expanding the court would restore balance.
In 2016, Republicans blocked President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court because it was an election year but didn’t use the same standard for President Trump’s nominee in 2020.
“With head-spinning hypocrisy, Senate Republicans and Donald Trump stole the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat, forcing Amy Coney Barrett onto the bench, literally as Americans were casting their votes,” Sen. Markey said.
Republican lawmakers oppose the efforts to expand the Supreme Court, saying it’s a partisan attempt to make the court more liberal.
“Packing the Supreme Court is a stale idea that was thrown out decades ago,” Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) said, adding that the attempt was made “by people who just want to impose their own ideology and turn the court into a political circus. Most Americans don’t want that.”
To add four more seats on the court, both chambers of Congress would have to pass the bill, which is unlikely to happen.