by: Kellie Meyer
Posted:
/ Updated:
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A Florida senator is leading the charge against court packing, or adding seats to the Supreme Court.
“We can take action before it’s too late,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said.
Rubio banded together with several other Republican senators this week in an effort to limit the number of justices serving on the Supreme Court and prevent Democrats from packing the court if they win control of the Senate in November.
“We’re sticking with nine. Nine has served us well,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.
Graham is set to hold a vote on Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday. A full senate vote is expected early next week.
Republicans believe that with Barrett on the high court, Democrats will move to add more liberal justices after the election. But one Democrat said that’s not the case.
“Not this Democrat,” Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) said.
Jones said he’s voting against Barrett’s nomination as a matter of principle. He added he will apply the same principle when it comes to adding more justices to the Supreme Court.
“I do not believe that’s the answer,” he said.
Jones called talk from Republicans about Democrats pushing to pack the court, “just another scare tactic.”
But while Jones said he doesn’t see it happening, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said it isn’t a hypothetical.
“This is a clear and present danger depending on what happens in November,” he said.
The GOP senators pushing back against court packing are challenging Democrats to join their effort if they’re really serious about leaving the size of the court alone.
