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 RubioThe Memo: 'Whistleblower' furor gains steam Liberal super PAC launches browser extension replacing 'Mitch McConnell' with 'Moscow Mitch' Trump faces difficult balancing act with reelection campaign MORE (R-Fla.), who spearheaded the resolution, said in a statement.
Marco Antonio RubioThe Memo: 'Whistleblower' furor gains steam Liberal super PAC launches browser extension replacing 'Mitch McConnell' with 'Moscow Mitch' Trump faces difficult balancing act with reelection campaign 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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Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoThis week: House jump-starts effort to prevent shutdown Congress set to ignore Trump's wall request in stopgap measure America is in desperate need of infrastructure investment: Senate highway bill a step in the right direction MORE (W.Va) are cosponsoring the resolution. The Senate resolution would specify that the Supreme Court "shall be composed of not more than 9 justices." A similar resolution was introduced in the House late last week.
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 HarrisWarren overtakes Biden in Iowa for first time: poll Iowa GOP swipes at 2020 Democrats' meat positions as candidates attend annual Steak Fry Warren avoids attacks while building momentum 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 GillibrandBooker aide sounds alarm about campaign's funding O'Rourke gun confiscation talk alarms Democrats Gillibrand relaunches PAC to elect women MORE (D-N.Y.) told "Pod Save America" that the idea was “interesting” and she would “need to think more about it.”
Donald John TrumpAlaska Republican Party cancels 2020 primary Ukrainian official denies Trump pressured president Trump goes after New York Times, Washington Post: 'They have gone totally CRAZY!!!!' 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.
