House Democrats block constitutional amendment to lock Supreme Court at 9 justices

WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday voted down a proposed constitutional amendment to keep the Supreme Court at nine seats, with the measure falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

The vote was 212-206. All but one Democrat voted against it, as openness within the party to expand the high court by four seats grows.

The joint resolution, offered by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., calls for amending the Constitution to say: “The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine justices consisting of one chief justice and eight associate justices.”

The office of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., encouraged lawmakers to vote “no,” saying the amendment would take away a power intended for Congress and do nothing to address the “affordability crisis” under President Donald Trump.

“This proposed constitutional amendment would permanently fix the number of Supreme Court justices at nine, stripping Congress of yet another constitutional authority that is meant to be controlled by the American people’s representatives,” Clark’s office wrote to lawmakers Wednesday ahead of the vote.

The Constitution does not specify the size of the Supreme Court; it defers to Congress on that matter. The Judiciary Act of 1789 established six…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business