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Constitutional Amendment to Prevent Supreme Court Packing Resurfaces
Epoch Times ^ | 01/24/2021 | Matthew Vadum

Posted on 01/24/2021 7:39:10 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced legislation on Jan. 22 to amend the U.S. Constitution to limit the Supreme Court to nine justices, the numerical cap that has been in place for well over a century, in order to prevent Democrats from enlarging the court’s membership.

Amending the Constitution is no easy task. The amendment bill must pass by two-thirds supermajority in both houses of Congress and then be ratified by three-quarters of the states, or 38 of the 50 states, to become part of the Constitution.

The move comes after then-President Donald Trump’s conservative constitutionalist nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, was confirmed before Election Day, replacing the liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September.

Filling the seat quickly in an election year enraged many Democrats, given the precedent of Merrick Garland. Following the election-year death in 2016 of Justice Antonin Scalia, the then-Republican-majority Senate refused to take up then-President Barack Obama’s nomination of Garland to the Supreme Court. He has since been nominated by President Joe Biden to become his attorney general.

Biden flirted with the idea of court-packing during the recent campaign but didn’t endorse it, saying he would create a national commission to look at a court system he described as “out of whack.” In October, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that because the U.S. population has increased over the past century and a half, more justices may be needed to sit on the Supreme Court.

In the lead-up to the November election, Democrats accused Republicans of a double-standard for moving expeditiously on Barrett’s nomination and vowed to pack the Supreme Court with additional justices in order to dilute the power of the court’s conservative-majority bloc, a move they argued would make it easier for big-government legislation favored by the political left to survive

(Excerpt) Read more at theepochtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: constitution; packing; scotus; supremecourt
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A group of GOP senators also co-sponsored Capito’s bill, S.J. Res 4. They are Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Todd Young (Ind.), Mitt Romney (Utah), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Pat Toomey (Pa.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Rob Portman (Ohio), John Cornyn (Texas), and Mike Braun (Ind.). The bill was introduced in the previous Congress on March 25, 2019, but lapsed.
1 posted on 01/24/2021 7:39:10 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and five other Senate Republicans introduced their own proposed constitutional amendment in October last year to prevent Democrats from packing the Supreme Court if Biden won the White House and Democrats recaptured the Senate. That proposed amendment simply stated: “The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine justices.”

“Make no mistake,” Cruz said at the time, “if Democrats win the election, they will end the filibuster and pack the Supreme Court, expanding the number of justices to advance their radical political agenda, entrenching their power for generations, and destroying the foundations of our democratic system.”

2 posted on 01/24/2021 7:39:57 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

so many opportunities to save the country punted by bought pols, cowards and SCOTUS $&^%)%^&


3 posted on 01/24/2021 7:43:33 PM PST by magna carta (TX all you have to do is send an email to principal with a witness included on the communication.)
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To: SeekAndFind

This is the sort of thing McConnell and Ryan should have been
taking care of in 2017 & 2018.

We had a window, and they boarded over it.


4 posted on 01/24/2021 7:43:56 PM PST by DoughtyOne (There is no next time Mitch. Aren't you proud now...)
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To: SeekAndFind

What’s this “Constitution” thing I keep seeing people talking about?


5 posted on 01/24/2021 7:45:32 PM PST by Zeddicus
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To: SeekAndFind
In October, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that because the U.S. population has increased over the past century and a half, more justices may be needed to sit on the Supreme Court.

If population increase is the program, the correct solution is to increase the number of District Courts. For example, break up the 9th Circuit into three: WA/OR/CA, Alaska/Guam/Hawaii/Mariana-Islands, and Arizona/Idaho/Montana/Nevada

6 posted on 01/24/2021 7:51:48 PM PST by asinclair (Political hot air is a renewable energy resource)
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To: DoughtyOne
This is the sort of thing McConnell and Ryan should have been taking care of in 2017 & 2018.

Yep. SMH.

7 posted on 01/24/2021 7:51:59 PM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican (The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog. )
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican
d":^)
8 posted on 01/24/2021 7:55:00 PM PST by DoughtyOne (There is no next time Mitch. Aren't you proud now...)
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To: SeekAndFind

They wouldn’t have had to worry about court packing if they hadn’t stabbed president Trump in the back. They can rot in hades.


9 posted on 01/24/2021 7:57:34 PM PST by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: SeekAndFind

I always found it bizarre that constitutional amendments require the assent of Congress, especially a supermajority. If you’re trying to limit federal power, why would you be required to ask their permission??


10 posted on 01/24/2021 7:57:43 PM PST by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Certifying fraud revealed their true nature.


11 posted on 01/24/2021 8:07:02 PM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizens Are Born Here of Citizen Parents{}Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Still Thinking

There’s also the procedure, never used, where I thin it’s the same 2/3 of states call for a convention that can bypass congress and pass amendments that are then submitted for state ratification. That is the Convention of States movement Mark Levin supports.

These are the two procedures for conservatives to amend the Constition. For liberals they just have to file a lawsuit in the Northern District of California, of the District of Hawaii and, in due course, the Supreme Court will do an amendment for them


12 posted on 01/24/2021 8:22:57 PM PST by j.havenfarm (20 years on Free Republic, 12/10/20! More than 3700 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: asinclair

Based on Pelosi’s increase in population argument, we should have two presidents and two Speakers.


13 posted on 01/24/2021 8:28:42 PM PST by LibertyOh
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To: SeekAndFind

What we need to do is repeal the 17th and 19th amendments. That would fix the current problem for the next 40 years, at least.


14 posted on 01/24/2021 8:28:57 PM PST by absalom01 (You should do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, and you should never wish to do less.)
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To: SeekAndFind

should add
If a position on the court becomes vacant, the president must name a replacement within 10 days. After the nomination, the Senate must vote within 10 days by recorded vote.


15 posted on 01/24/2021 8:37:25 PM PST by FredSchwartz (What ever happened to common knowledge and simple logic?)
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To: Zeddicus

According to Democrats it is in the same aisle as the Charmin’ and ScotTissue.


16 posted on 01/24/2021 8:38:49 PM PST by 17th Miss Regt
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To: FredSchwartz

Should be age limit for scotus. 80???


17 posted on 01/24/2021 9:07:19 PM PST by gcparent (Justice Amy Coney Barrett)
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To: absalom01

“What we need to do is repeal the 17th and 19th amendments. That would fix the current problem for the next 40 years, at least.”

Better add repeal of the the 26th to that list. The under 21 morons are a big part of the problem.


18 posted on 01/24/2021 9:20:58 PM PST by Beagle8U ("Chris Wallace comes from the shallow end of the press pool.")
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To: gcparent

yeah, agree with that too.


19 posted on 01/24/2021 9:46:23 PM PST by FredSchwartz (What ever happened to common knowledge and simple logic?)
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To: Still Thinking
....always found it bizarre that constitutional amendments require the assent of Congress..

There is Article V but fear and disinformation has kept it from being used. Even an impending Civil War was not enough . It is America's last hope

20 posted on 01/24/2021 10:04:53 PM PST by Nateman (Keep Liberty Alive! Article V)
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