(USNewsMag.com) – On May 16, a bill that would add four more seats to the U.S. Supreme Court was reintroduced by Democrats.
The bill was reintroduced by Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey. Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, Missouri Rep. Cori Bush and California Rep. Adam Schiff were also there for the unveiling of the proposed bill.
The bill, which creates a 13-justice Supreme Court, was originally introduced about 2 years ago by Markey and other Democrats. The previous legislation did not receive a vote in either chamber in Congress. The proposed bill would allow the additional four justices to be appointed by President Joe Biden.
Markey as well as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley went on a tour across the country in April where they called for expanding the court as well creating a binding code of ethics for all Supreme Court justices.
The move to reintroduce the bill comes as financial disclosures for the Supreme Court justices as well as the overturning of Roe v. Wade are being scrutinized by Democrats who are unhappy with the court’s conservative majority. The court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority.
Markey accused Republicans of stealing the majority as well as hijacking the nomination process for justices.
Democrats claim the move would restore balance to the court.
The last time Democrats were able to nominate a Supreme Court justice was in 2016, when then-President Barack Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court was blocked by Republicans. Former President Donald Trump appointed three of the nine current justices, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, which changed the balance of the court.
Republicans have said the effort to add justices to the Supreme Court is an attempt for Democrats to weaponize the court.
With Republicans in control of the House, and Democrats not holding enough of a majority in the Senate, it is predicted the bill will not be moved to a vote in either chamber of Congress.
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