Changes

'''Court packing''' (also spelled "court-packing") refers to schemes to increase the number of justices on the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in order to change the results on key issues and to promote their own agenda. President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] attempted such in 1937 but was rebuked by the majority of his own [[Democratic Party]] for it, including even his steadfast [[New Deal]] ally Robert F. Wagner. On July 22nd of that year, the U.S. Senate voted 70–20 to send the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill to committee where the language corresponding to its totalitarian aims were removed.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/75-1/s42 TO RECOMMIT TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. S. 1392, A BILL TO REORGANIZE THE JUDICIARY BRANCH.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 29, 2021.</ref> All "nays" were from Democrats, including Southern [[segregation]]ists [[Hugo Black]], [[Allen J. Ellender]], [[Hattie Caraway]], and [[Theodore Bilbo]]. ([[#Antithesis_to_civil_rights|see below]] for more information on court packing and racism)

'''Court packing''' (also spelled "court-packing") refers to schemes to increase the number of justices on the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in order to change the results on key issues and to promote their own agenda. President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] attempted such in 1937 but was rebuked by the majority of his own [[Democratic Party]] for it, including even his steadfast [[New Deal]] ally Robert F. Wagner. On July 22nd of that year, the U.S. Senate voted 70–20 to send the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill to committee where the language corresponding to its totalitarian aims were removed.<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/75-1/s42 TO RECOMMIT TO THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. S. 1392, A BILL TO REORGANIZE THE JUDICIARY BRANCH.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 29, 2021.</ref> All "nays" were from Democrats, including Southern [[segregation]]ists [[Hugo Black]], [[Allen J. Ellender]], [[Hattie Caraway]], and [[Theodore Bilbo]]. ([[#Antithesis_to_civil_rights|see below]] for more information on court packing and racism)

Candidate [[Joe Biden]] and [[Democrat]]s plan to try this again if they win in the 2020 election, with their proposed [[swamp]] of Joseph Biden, running mate [[Kamala Harris]], [[Speaker of the House]] [[Nancy Pelosi]], and Senate Minority Leader [[Charles Schumer]].

Then-candidate [[Joe Biden]] in the 2020 election, among Democrats, planned to introduce court-packing in the event of an election victory, with their proposed [[swamp]] of Joseph Biden, running mate [[Kamala Harris]], [[Speaker of the House]] [[Nancy Pelosi]], and Senate Democratic leader [[Charles Schumer]].

Running for president in 2020, candidate [[Joe Biden]] repeatedly refused to answer questions about his court packing plan if he were elected:

Running for president in 2020, candidate [[Joe Biden]] repeatedly refused to answer questions about his court packing plan if he were elected:<ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/10/biden-supreme-court-battle-428523 Biden again deflects on court packing question]</ref>

{{cquote|They'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/10/biden-supreme-court-battle-428523 Biden again deflects on court packing question]</ref>}}

{{cquote|They'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over.}}

The [[U.S. Constitution]] does not establish the number of Supreme Court Justices, which changed multiple times until 1869.

 

The [[U.S. Constitution]] does not establish the number of Supreme Court Justices, which changed multiple times until 1869. The [[Judiciary Act of 1789]] established six justices for the first Supreme Court. [[Lame duck]] President [[John Adams]] signed the Judiciary Act of 1801 to reduced the number to five, but President [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[Congress]] subsequently restored it to six by repealing that law, and in 1807 increased the number to seven while also adding an additional seventh [[U.S. Court of Appeals]].

The [[Judiciary Act of 1789]] established six justices for the first Supreme Court. [[Lame duck]] President [[John Adams]] signed the Judiciary Act of 1801 to reduced the number to five, but President [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[Congress]] subsequently restored it to six by repealing that law, and in 1807 increased the number to seven while also adding an additional seventh [[U.S. Court of Appeals]].

When the number of federal circuits was expanded further in 1837, President [[Andrew Jackson]] added two more justices to the Supreme Court, for a total of nine. In 1863 [[Congress]] added a tenth circuit and established ten seats on the Supreme Court.  In 1866 Congress reduced the number of justices back to seven, but in 1869 Congress restored the total number to nine.

When the number of federal circuits was expanded further in 1837, President [[Andrew Jackson]] added two more justices to the Supreme Court, for a total of nine. In 1863 [[Congress]] added a tenth circuit and established ten seats on the Supreme Court.  In 1866 Congress reduced the number of justices back to seven, but in 1869 Congress restored the total number to nine.