New ‘zine’ details crisis of legitimacy for the Court, urgent and immediate need to expand Court from nine to 13
Washington (October 3, 2022) – As the U.S. Supreme Court today begins its new term in the wake of its far-right majority repealing the fundamental right to abortion care last June, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) reiterated his call to expand the Supreme Court in his new ‘zine. Senator Markey’s legislation with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Representative Mondaire Jones (NY-17), the Judiciary Act, would expand the number of Justices on the Court from nine to 13 in an effort to address the crisis of legitimacy and the decline in the American people’s trust in the partisan Court.
“This stolen, far-right Supreme Court majority has already eviscerated abortion rights, and its new term raises well-founded fears that it will turn back the clock on other bedrock rights and progress our nation has made – from our efforts to build a more equitable and just society for LGBTQ+ Americans, to the existential threat of the climate crisis,” said Senator Markey. “Congress must act in the face of the Court’s illegitimate, partisan majority. I call on my colleagues to join our growing movement of lawmakers, legal scholars, activists, and advocates who are calling for a return to balance on the bench by expanding the Supreme Court.”
Senator Markey’s ‘zine points to Gallup polling from June which found only 25 percent of Americans have confidence in the Court. According to Gallup this week, Americans’ opinions of the Court are now the lowest they have been in 50 years.
“Public trust is at a historical low for the nation’s high court,” write Senator Markey and his colleague Rep. Jones in an op-ed for the ‘zine. “By passing our bill, Congress would be acting well within its authority to reclaim the stolen seats, unpack the Republican-stacked Court, and prevent the illegitimate and far-right majority from imposing its unpopular views on the American people.”
The Judiciary Act is endorsed by Public Citizen, Alliance for Justice, Working Families Party, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Free Speech for People, the Center for Popular Democracy, Demand Progress, 350.org, Demos, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, Stand Up America, People's Parity Project, Indivisible, 51 for 51, Lambda Legal, SEIU, League of Conservation Voters, Sunrise Movement, the Transgender Law Center, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equal Justice Society, End Citizens United, Let America Vote Action Fund, and Demand Justice.
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