Rep. Jim Jordan and House Judiciary Republicans submitted a resolution late Tuesday against “packing” the Supreme Court, which Democrats are calling for in the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death.
“Any attempt to increase the number of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States or ‘pack the court’ would undermine our democratic institutions and destroy the credibility of our nation’s highest court,” the resolution states.
#BREAKING: @JudiciaryGOP just introduced a resolution condemning Democrats’ calls to pack #SCOTUS. pic.twitter.com/FyVjHmIwBY
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) September 22, 2020
Ginsburg herself said in 2019 that President Franklin Roosevelt’s attempt to pack the court was a “bad” idea, and “if anything would make the court look partisan, it would be that.”
The resolution also highlighted threats from Democratic lawmakers—Rep. Jerry Nadler, Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Joe Kennedy—about expanding the Supreme Court.
If Sen. McConnell and @SenateGOP were to force through a nominee during the lame duck session—before a new Senate and President can take office—then the incoming Senate should immediately move to expand the Supreme Court. 1/2 https://t.co/BDYQ0KVmJe
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) September 19, 2020
Schumer to Senate Dems on a conference call today, per source: “Let me be clear: if Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans move forward with this, then nothing is off the table for next year. Nothing is off the table.”
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) September 19, 2020
If he holds a vote in 2020, we pack the court in 2021.
— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) September 19, 2020
It’s that simple.
Mitch McConnell set the precedent. No Supreme Court vacancies filled in an election year. If he violates it, when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress, we must abolish the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court.
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) September 19, 2020
“[T]he House of Representatives condemns and opposes any attempt to increase the number of Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States or otherwise ‘pack the court,’ the resolution concludes.
While there are no limits to the number of justices that can serve on the high court, for the last 151 years, nine have sat on the bench, Jordan reminded.
President Trump will announce his Supreme Court pick on Saturday and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to move forward with the nomination. Now that more Republican senators are signaling they are on board, it looks like Democratic hopes of blocking President Trump from getting a third Supreme Court justice are dashed.