House Democrats Reject GOP Proposal to Limit Supreme Court Justices

<p>House Democrats voted against a Republican effort to propose a constitutional amendment aimed at capping the number of Supreme Court justices. The vote took place on Wednesday afternoon, with most Democrats opposing the measure.</p><p>The proposal was initiated by House GOP leaders, including Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., in response to concerns expressed by former President Donald Trump regarding potential Democratic plans to expand the Supreme Court if they regain control of Congress. Trump has publicly stated his belief that Democrats would seek to increase the number of justices.</p><p>The proposed amendment sought to establish that only nine justices could serve on the Supreme Court. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., attempted to expedite the legislative process by raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds, a procedure known as "suspending the rules." However, the amendment did not achieve the necessary votes, despite a majority of House lawmakers supporting it.</p><p>The U.S. Constitution permits Congress to determine the number of justices on the Supreme Court, which currently consists of eight justices and one chief justice. Republicans argued that establishing a fixed number of justices could prevent a future Democratic administration from altering the court's composition to favor its political agenda.</p><p>Rep. Biggs raised concerns about the implications of changing the number of justices, stating, "If a sitting majority can change the size of the Supreme Court the moment it dislikes rulings, what happens to the next time the other side is in power?" He emphasized the importance of maintaining the court as an independent entity rather than a political institution.</p><p>In contrast, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who supports increasing the number of justices to 13, argued that Congress has historically changed the number of justices and criticized the GOP proposal as an attempt to permanently limit congressional authority over the matter. Raskin described the proposal as a partisan effort to solidify a conservative majority on the court.</p><p>Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., characterized the push to expand the court as a political power grab, while Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., cautioned that locking the number of justices at nine would entrench the current conservative majority for an extended period.</p>