Sen. Ed Markey, House Democrats Introduce Bill To Expand Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (CBS) -- Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is among the Democrats leading the charge to add seats to the U.S Supreme Court. Markey and House lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that would add four seats to the court, expanding the number of justices to 13.
Markey argues that the Judiciary Act Of 2021 will "restore the court's balance" after former President Donald Trump nominated a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020.
Who agrees that we should expand the Supreme Court?
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) April 15, 2021
"Republicans stole the Court's majority, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation completing their crime spree," Markey said in a statement. "Of all the damage Donald Trump did to our Constitution, this stands as one of his greatest travesties. Senate Republicans have politicized the Supreme Court, undermined its legitimacy, and threatened the rights of millions of Americans, especially people of color, women, and our immigrant communities."
President Joe Biden has said he's "not a fan" of adding more justices to the court, but he recently created a commission to look at reforming the Supreme Court, including the number of justices it has.
Congress has the power to change the number of court justices, but it would face strong opposition from Republicans.
"The Democrats are apparently so drunk with power here in Washington, that they're going to give it another try and I think that's really unfortunate," said Ohio Republican Steve Chabot, according to CBS News. "I think it could tear this country apart."
"The party that packed the court are the Republicans who jammed through nominees and refused to consider Merrick Garland," Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline retorted.