<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/section/news/house/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">House</a> Democrats on Wednesday blocked a Republican-led proposal to amend the <a href="https://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/constitution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Constitution</a> to prevent expanding the number of <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/supreme-court/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a> justices.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The measure, viewed primarily as a symbolic gesture not expected to advance, failed to reach the two-thirds majority support needed to pass. Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) was the only Democrat to join all Republicans in supporting the resolution, which was defeated 212-206. The Republican Party seized on the outcome to frame Democrats as radical ahead of the midterm elections.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Democrats voted against Rep. Andy Biggs’s (R-AZ) amendment, with Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, stating that they did so “so they can follow through on a radical socialist agenda.” Marinella also commented, “Give House Democrats an ounce of power, and they’ll use every bit of it to fundamentally transform America.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Supreme Court has had nine justices since 1869. Some Democrats, led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), have backed <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-unveil-bill-expand-us-supreme-court-by-four-justices-2021-04-15/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">legislation</a> that would expand the number of justices on the court to 13. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has also voiced support for the idea.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) scheduled the latest vote regarding the Supreme Court with few legislative days left before the Nov. 3 elections, providing the GOP a strategic messaging opportunity. Johnson stated, “Defending the integrity of the Supreme Court shouldn’t be a controversial vote” after Biggs’s resolution failed.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The resolution faced an essentially impossible pathway for the two-thirds majority needed for passage, as Republicans control 218 seats in the House, compared with 214 held by Democrats. Had the measure advanced, it would have had to be passed by the Senate and then ratified by 38 of the 50 U.S. states.</p>