Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler defended legislation Thursday that would expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices instead of nine.
Flanked by Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Democratic Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, Nadler argued that Republicans — led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — had “delegitimized” the Supreme Court. The only way to remedy that, Nadler said, was to add four more justices to be appointed immediately by President Joe Biden. (RELATED: NY Democrat Claims ‘Far-Right’ Majority Has Made Supreme Court An Accomplice In ‘War On Our Democracy’)
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Nadler went on to suggest that a 9-member court was stretched too thin for a nation that had continued to grow and expand, adding that it only seemed logical for the court to grow and expand alongside it.
“As our country has grown so should the Supreme Court. 13 justices for 13 circuits is a logical progression and that is another reason why I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing the Judiciary Act of 2021 to establish the Supreme Court size as 13,” Nadler said. “It’s a nice number, it matches — it is not a nice number. It is a proper number that matches the number of circuits as it has historically and it also will enable us to do justice and to rectify the great injustice done in packing the court.”
“Some people will say we’re packing the court. We’re not packing it, we’re unpacking it,” Nadler continued, arguing that Republicans had “packed” the court during former President Donald Trump’s administration. “Sen. McConnell and Republicans packed the court over the last couple of years as Senator Markey outlined. This is a reaction to that. It is a necessary step in the evolution of the court, and I’m glad and proud to co-sponsor it.”