Rubio begins push on Monday to cap number of Supreme Court judges
Sen. Marco Rubio on Monday will introduce a constitutional amendment aimed at blocking efforts to pack the Supreme Court and is preparing to do the uphill work needed to get it passed, according to a senior Rubio aide. "It’s certainly a real effort, which is why we talked with constitutional law experts," the aide said. "We’re also keenly aware of how radicalized Dems are on this. That being said, it takes an immense amount of effort, support, and coordination to pass a constitutional amendment."
Amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate, a hurdle that appears unlikely in light of how Democratic candidates for president are already talking about adding seats to the Supreme Court. White House hopefuls like South Bend, Ind., Mayor Peter Buttigieg, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, and Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker have all talked about expanding the number of Supreme Court seats.
Rubio's measure would also have to be ratified by three-fourths of the states. To get around these hurdles, Rubio's office is already talking to "a lot of offices" about the amendment. One of those offices is that of Rep. Mark Green, whose office says he introduced a similar constitutional amendment this week. The aide said Rubio would be joined by other senators on his proposal but declined to say how many cosponsors the measure would have. "We will definitely not be alone when we introduce it," the aide said. Rubio has been considering a move like this for some time, and the aide said the proposal was “based off months-long conversations last fall with legal experts.” The resolution will state simply that, "The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of not more than 9 justices."
But Rubio made it clear this week that Democratic calls for court packing are a major reason why he is introducing it. “Court packing is quickly becoming a litmus test for 2020 Democratic candidates as this ugly, winner-take-all rhetoric gains prominence in progressive circles," he wrote in an op-ed for Fox News. '"Our nation may not be on the brink of civil war or dissolution, but we are suffering a crisis of confidence and we cannot withstand further erosion of trust in one another and our institutions.”'''
Packing the Supreme Court began to gain traction among some Democrats following the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to Antonin Scalia’s seat in 2017 and the effort began to gain steam in the wake of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to Anthony Kennedy’s seat in 2018. Last October, then-candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called on Democrats to “Pack the Supreme Court!” if they take back the White House in 2020.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rubio-begins-push-on-monday-to-cap-number-of-supreme-court-judges
Sen. Marco Rubio: Supreme Court needs to stay at nine justices – Dems’ court-packing plan is all wrong
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/sen-marco-rubio-supreme-court-needs-to-stay-at-nine-justices-dems-court-packing-plan-is-all-wrong