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On Thursday, Congressional Democrats introduced legislation to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices. The bill is headed by Senator Ed Markey and Representative Jerry Nadler.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday she has “no plans to bring it to the floor.”
“I don’t know that that’s a good idea or a bad idea. I think it’s an idea that should be considered,” Pelosi said. “And I think the President’s taking the right approach to have a commission to study such a thing. It’s a big step.”
President Joe Biden has expressed that he is not a fan of expanding the Supreme Court.
“The bill marks a new era where Democrats finally stop conceding the Supreme Court to Republicans,” Brian Fallon, a former Senate Democratic leadership aid and co-founder of Demand Justice, said. “Our task now is to build a grassroots movement that puts pressure on every Democrat in Congress to support this legislation because it is the only way to restore balance to the court and protect our democracy.”
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said that its important for the American people to know why this move to expand the Supreme Court is necessary.
“There’s been a lot of manipulation and I think it’s put the court in a very perilous position, and we need to remedy the problems that McConnell caused,” the Senator said.
Last week, President Biden announced the formation of a commission to study the structure of the Supreme Court.
“I’m not ready to sign on yet. I think this commission of Biden is the right move,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said. “Let’s think this through carefully. This is historic.”
There has been 9 Supreme Court Justices since 1869.
“President Biden campaigned on a promise of lowering the temperature and uniting a divided nation, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “If he really meant it, he would stop giving oxygen to a dangerous, antiquated idea and stand up to the partisans hawking it.”
