There have been several prominent Democrats who have called for adding new seats to the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years.
Upset by the fact that Donald Trump was able to name three conservative justices to the bench, lawmakers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have been clear in their calls for a controversial plan commonly referred to as packing the court.
This week, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued perhaps the clearest endorsement yet, describing the scheme as “common sense.”
In the wake of Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation in 2020, Ocasio-Cortez and Omar began clamoring for the federal government to expand the size of the nation’s highest court.
As The Sun reported at the time:
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has declined to answer if he believes in expanding the high court beyond nine justices.
After Barrett’s confirmation, Biden said in a statement that “the rushed and unprecedented confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett as Associate Justice to the Supreme Court, in the middle of an ongoing election, should be a stark reminder to every American that your vote matters.”
Ocasio-Cortez and Omar’s sentiments about court packing were shared by the other two members of their progressive “Squad”—representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.
The far-left lawmakers have frequently weighed in on the topic using their favorite form of communication: Twitter.
Expand the court. https://t.co/hYC5OCeKQq
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 27, 2020
Remember that Republicans have lost 6 of the last 7 popular votes, but have appointed 6 of the last 9 justices.
By expanding the court we fix this broken system and have the court better represent the values of the American people.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 27, 2020
Following a number of recent decisions that rankled the left, Omar has been even more outspoken.
Lastly, Congress can change the number of justices on the court at any time, and has done so 7 times throughout history.
In the face of stolen seats, a sitting justice implicated in a coup attempt, and a dangerous crisis of legitimacy, it should absolutely be on the table.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 26, 2022
Despite the pressure from his own party, Joe Biden has is not yet convinced that it’s a good idea.
According to ABC News:
President Joe Biden remains unmoved on the issue of court expansion, the White House said, despite his criticism of the Supreme Court rulings handed down this week on gun rights and abortion.
“That is something that the president does not agree with,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday when asked about such a reform. “That is not something that he wants to do.”
Democrats and activists are floating the idea after the high court expanded gun rights and did away with 50 years of precedent to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and others expressly called for expanding the court in the wake of the decision on abortion access.
Here’s a clip from Omar’s latest remarks:
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