Senate Republicans are moving to keep the Supreme Court at nine justices as a growing number of Democratic 2020 contenders have expressed an openness to expanding it.
Roughly a dozen Republican senators introduced the resolution on Monday that would keep the Supreme Court at nine justices.
"The Democrats' court-packing proposal represents the latest shortsighted effort to undermine America's confidence in our institutions and our democracy," Sen. Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio RubioGOP senators plan to tune out impeachment week Republicans warn election results are 'wake-up call' for Trump Paul's demand to out whistleblower rankles GOP colleagues MORE (R-Fla.), who spearheaded the resolution, said in a statement.
Marco Antonio RubioGOP senators plan to tune out impeachment week Republicans warn election results are 'wake-up call' for Trump Paul's demand to out whistleblower rankles GOP colleagues MORE (R-Fla.), who spearheaded the resolution, said in a statement.ADVERTISEMENT
He added that he was introducing the constitutional amendment "to prevent the delegitimizing of the Supreme Court."
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But Rubio first announced last week that he would introduce the amendment after several Democratic White House contenders, including a handful that are Rubio's Senate colleagues, expressed an openness to expanding the Supreme Court or enacting other judicial reforms, including term limits.
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Kamala Devi HarrisOutsider candidates outpoll insider candidates Poll: Buttigieg leads Democratic field in Iowa Press: Another billionaire need not apply MORE (D-Calif.) have said expanding, or "packing," the court should be an option on the table as part of a larger conversation among Democrats about the direction of the U.S. judicial system.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
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Kirsten GillibrandSenate panel clears controversial Trump court pick Advocates step up efforts for horse racing reform bill after more deaths Harris proposes keeping schools open for 10 hours a day MORE (D-N.Y.) told "Pod Save America" that the idea was “interesting” and she would “need to think more about it.”
Donald John TrumpTrump faces high stakes in meeting with Erdoğan amid impeachment drama Democrats worry they don't have right candidate to beat Trump Trump threatening to fire Mulvaney: report MORE and congressional Republicans have been able to pack the courts with conservative judges, including two Supreme Court justices and dozens of appeals court nominees.But Rubio countered in a Fox News op-ed last week that trying to expand the courts had become a "litmus test" for White House hopefuls and stemmed from an "ugly, winner-take-all rhetoric" among progressives.
