Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has put forth a legislative proposal aimed at significantly altering the federal judiciary by adding six seats to the Supreme Court, as announced by his office on Thursday.
The proposed Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act seeks to expand the Supreme Court to a total of 15 justices over a span of 12 years. Additionally, it aims to increase the number of federal circuit courts to 15, which would result in the appointment of over 60 new circuit judges and 100 new district court judges.
“The Supreme Court is in crisis and bold solutions are necessary to restore the public trust,” Wyden said in a statement. “More transparency, more accountability and more checks on a power hungry Supreme Court are just what the American people are asking for.”
JCN President Carrie Severino stated on X that the proposed legislation represents “the most significant assault on the Court since FDR.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attempt to expand the Supreme Court in 1937 was unsuccessful due to bipartisan resistance.
At present, conservatives hold a majority on the Supreme Court, with six of the nine justices having been appointed by Republican presidents.
In addition to expanding the court, the proposed bill mandates that both the Supreme Court and circuit courts must achieve a two-thirds majority to invalidate laws enacted by Congress on constitutional grounds. Furthermore, it requires the IRS to conduct an audit of each justice’s income tax return and to disclose those returns within 60 days of their submission.
Democrats have consistently criticized conservative justices for purported ethical breaches, particularly following a ProPublica report last year detailing luxury trips taken by Justice Clarence Thomas with billionaire real estate developer Harlan Crow. ProPublica is supported by several organizations that have urged for Thomas’s resignation or investigation, as reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation last year.
According to the bill’s provisions, Supreme Court nominations that remain stalled in committee for over 180 days would automatically be placed on the Senate calendar for a vote.
🚨With 40 days until Election Day, Democrats just rolled out the most radical and dangerous legislation to date aimed at destroying the Supreme Court as we know it.
The new radical bill put forward by Senate Democrats is the worst attack on the Court since FDR. It will:
❌Pack… pic.twitter.com/8BeA5Td4Rn
— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) September 26, 2024
