President Joe Biden’s newly-formed commission to study the Supreme Court and federal judiciary met for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. The commission consists of 36 members ranging from legal scholars, law professors, and retired judges. The membership will submit a report to the president after 180 days. Biden pledged to create a commission during his presidential run, as Democrats advocate for expanding the size of the Supreme Court. The first meeting of the commission lasted less than 30 minutes.
In a meeting that was scheduled for 90 minutes, the commission has adjourned in just 25 minutes after completing its business.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) May 19, 2021
The commission will study the following, via CBS News:
- The genesis of the reform debate
- The court's role in the constitutional system
- The length of service and turnover of Supreme Court
- Proposals regarding the membership and size of the court, including debates to expand it
- Issues around the Supreme Court's case selection and review, as well as docket rules and practices
Calls for adding justices to the bench of the high court began to gain steam within the Democrat Party after the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the bench. The president previously called court packing a “bonehead idea," but now will not give a firm stance on the fringe issue.
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For decades, Democrats criticized court packing as a “terrible” and “bonehead idea.”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 19, 2021
But now that they’re in power, Democrats support this “power grab.”pic.twitter.com/BtoPtxKYz8
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