House rejects GOP constitutional amendment to limit Supreme Court to 9 justices
A GOP-proposed constitutional amendment to limit the Supreme Court to nine justices failed in the House, coming up well short of the two-thirds majority needed.
A proposed Republican constitutional amendment to limit the Supreme Court to nine justices was rejected by the House on Wednesday. The amendment, which would permanently fix the number of justices at nine, fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority required for passage. The GOP-backed measure was introduced by Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, who argued that a fixed court size would prevent political manipulation in future elections.
The amendment failed with 212 votes in favor and 206 against. House Democrats criticized the move, stating it would strip Congress of the constitutional authority to determine the size of the court, a power previously exercised seven times since 1789. House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the amendment, stating that limiting the high court to nine justices is "critically important."
Rivaling Democrats accused Republicans of targeting Democratic Socialists of America candidates who could potentially join Congress in the upcoming election.
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