General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSome Dems, not yet Biden, talk of expanding Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) The prospect that President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans will fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court seat before the year is out has ignited a call for major changes on the court, including expanding the number of justices.
Some Democratic senators, who had been averse to increasing the size of the nine-member court, said in the wake of Ginsburg's death that the Republican rush to fill the high court vacancy could be a breaking point.
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey said on Twitter that if Republicans don't allow the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election to select the next justice, we must abolish the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court.
But the sudden vacancy also is fueling tensions among Democrats. While some progressives are urging presidential nominee Joe Biden to embrace reforms including adding justices to the court, he has so far resisted embracing such a major change.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/some-dems-not-yet-biden-talk-of-expanding-supreme-court/ar-BB19jq53?li=BBnbcA1&ocid=DELLDHP
still_one
(92,190 posts)the election
Markey can say anything he wants, he is in a blue state, and not running for President
We need to get some purple perhaps red states to win
Raven123
(4,842 posts)Save the 'what we're going to do' until after.
Budi
(15,325 posts)Biden is.
He's smart to let this divisive dogwhistle rest, when the stakes are between He & Trump & are at an apex.
Forcing an answer from Biden at this time is bs.
Biden has his next 6 week strategic game plan in order & he's got his particular key points to ready beat Trump like a drum.
I'll trust Joe Biden to run his own campaign & not be sidetracked by the howls of those who aren't standing in his shoes this moment.
Sit tf down.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,765 posts)He can make these decisions if he takes office.
still_one
(92,190 posts)BlueTsunami2018
(3,492 posts)Just like they wont get him to say hell defund the police. Were all horrified by whats coming but we still have to be smart and collected. Lets win before we start talking about this kind of thing.
Mike 03
(16,616 posts)first to leave?
I don't think Biden should touch the subject of expanding the court, at least not yet.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Expanding it doesn't break the Constitution.
standingtall
(2,785 posts)but it would be practically impossible. Legislation could be passed to shrink the court from 9 to 7, but we would have to wait for to Justices to die without filling there seats. Problem is republicans are appointing young judges. They would have ample time to take back the Government and repeal such legislation before it ever goes into effect.
flamin lib
(14,559 posts)resemble circuit courts. Use 5 member panels to hear cases with the option of full court review of 3/2 decisions. The court could hear more cases and cases with 'questionable outcomes' would have oversight. It would also be more difficult for either party to pack the court with partisan judges.
Doremus
(7,261 posts)I would bet everything I own that Dems won't get rid of the filibuster and they won't pack the court. Such dramatic change is simply not in their DNA. Biden nor any other (D) power players are suggesting it, only a few progressives.
Realize it now and fight or we're stuck for decades with 1950s social policy. I'm old enough to remember those days and, young people, they weren't fun. You don't want to experience them, believe it.
Demsrule86
(68,576 posts)Stop spreading such nonsense.
Doremus
(7,261 posts)Talking about expanding the court and ending the filibuster as if there's a snowball's chance in hell.
Who in the power base is talking about these radical actions? Not Biden, not Kamala, not anybody. In fact, DiFi has already come out against them.
And then there's the inconvenient fact that, with a 6th conservative on the court, it's an automatic loss for any close election results (think Florida). It's Catch 22. No President Biden, no stacked court and no ended filibuster.
But go ahead and spew the ridiculous notion that all we have to do is let them have their way and we'll miraculously solve everything after the election. Bah.
Budi
(15,325 posts)"Such dramatic change is simply not in their DNA. Biden nor any other (D) power players are suggesting it, only a few progressives."
All I needed to read. 🙄
More division from the expected...
You nor them have a claim of ownership to this decision.
Nor does anyone shouting the loudest wedge issue to the media have any clue how a President Biden will handle the SC choice.
He has the most important race of our lifetime to fininsh.
He's got 6 werks to do it.
How bout they just get him Elected 1st before drawing the line with divisive wedge issues that cannot be solved until he is there.
Figures that certain ones would be more focused on division than the one singular task at hand.
Its predictable however sad it is
Doremus
(7,261 posts)It's reality, not pipe dream "let's expand the court" and "end the filibuster." Both things that simply aren't going to be proferred by the current Dem party.
Why is it okay to repeat far-fetched nonsense such as the above (which is being touted by Progressives by the way, you might want to watch it) but divisive to point out the obvious? I think you're being divisive by trying to shove people out of the big tent.
standingtall
(2,785 posts)Then they better do it.
Budi
(15,325 posts)6 + weeks left to salvage this country from a catastrophic collapse.
The SC decision can't happen until he's President.
Maybe just Vote Biden/Harris & downballot Blue. Get our power back before demanding something he has no power at the moment to fix.
Hindsight~2016 Support of HRC would have given us our SC by now.
Just sayin.
standingtall
(2,785 posts)I'm just expressing the reality of what's going to happen if they don't repeal the legislative filibuster in their first term.
Budi
(15,325 posts)Bettie
(16,109 posts)give him the deniability factor for now, but hopefully he's willing to do it.
Jersey Devil
(9,874 posts)Biden is ahead on all the major issues so he should create a new one now that has the potenitial to backfire against him? I don't think so.
forthemiddle
(1,379 posts)I am sure it will be asked, point blank, during the debates. I wonder how he will answer it?