A majority of Americans, according to a poll, are opposed to the Supreme Court expanding — to allow for a more balanced bench — despite earlier calls from progressives who echoed those concerns.
After the Supreme Court voted last week to overturn Roe v. Wade, thanks to a conservative majority, an idea was floated to expand the number of seats making the court more balanced. Newsweek reports that such an expansion is legally possible and is not beholden to any restrictions in the Constitution. The court's nine justices is a 150-year-old convention.
But according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, respondents opposed to expanding the court despite its unpopular abortion ruling numbered 54%. Conversely, 34% said they were in favor of an expansion.
The poll also asked respondents if they supported the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade; 40% said they favored it, but 56% said they opposed it. Additionally, 57% said they believed the court's decision was political.
Nonetheless, the poll reflects a troubling split between constituents of the two political parties, with 84% of Democrats saying they had little to no faith in the Supreme Court and 71% of Republicans responding they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the court.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, while speaking on behalf of President Joe Biden, told reporters Saturday the president "does not agree with" expanding the number of Supreme Court justices' seats. Jean-Pierre did not offer a further explanation of the president's reasoning.
However, many Democrat key figures have expressed their support for expanding the court, including Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pramila Jayapal, Mondaire Jones, Ilhan Omar, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.
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