Former Republican Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz called Democrats who introduced legislation to pack the Supreme Court “a bunch of crybabies” during a Friday interview.
“Democrats have long had the majority there on the Court, but these five members of Congress out of 535 are asking for a radical solution that is purely political, has nothing to do with actually fixing the Court,” Chaffetz said on Fox Business Network’s “Varney and Co.” “I think they’re a bunch of crybabies and I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”
Democrats introduced a bill Thursday to place four additional justices on the Supreme Court, The Intercept reported. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, Democratic New York Rep. Mondaire Jones and subcommittee Chair Hank Johnson are promoting the effort in the House, according to the Intercept, and Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey is heading the charge in the Senate. (RELATED: Psaki Explains Why Biden Is Exploring Court Packing After Previously Calling It ‘A Bonehead Idea’)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi voiced her opposition to the bill Thursday and said she doesn’t intend to put the measure to the House floor. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also said during a press briefing Thursday that President Joe Biden isn’t going to back the legislation.
Biden signed an executive order April 9 to form a commission designed to analyze multiple elements of the Court, including it’s “membership and size,” according to a White House press release.
“I think it’s a plea of desperation, I think they’re seeking a political remedy, there is not something in principle that is wrong with the Supreme Court other than the Democrats’ wish that Donald Trump had lost and that he didn’t get two picks on the Supreme Court,” Chaffetz said.
Chaffetz warned that if the filibuster is abolished, measures such as making Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico states and other Court related initiatives would be “back on the table.”
“But I don’t think they’re gonna be able to break that down, I hope not,” Chaffetz said.
Chaffetz said that Biden set high expectations when he created the Supreme Court commission and Democrats may return with other proposals, such as implementing “term limits or some other reconfiguration of the courts in place.”
“I think that is realistic, it scares me because I don’t think the Court is broken, but I think that may be the consequence,” Chaffetz said. “Reach for the moon and then settle for something that’s a lot less and then it appears reasonable, even though from the starting point of today, I think its unreasonable.”
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