The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have permanently limited the Supreme Court to nine justices.
The measure received 212 votes in favor and 206 against, but it fell short of the two-thirds majority required to approve a constitutional amendment in the House.
Only One Democrat Voted in Favor
The proposal was backed overwhelmingly by Republicans, while nearly all Democrats opposed it. Only one Democrat, Rep. Don Davis of North Carolina, voted in favor.
Supporters argued that writing the nine-justice limit into the Constitution would prevent any future attempt to expand the Supreme Court for political advantage.
Opponents argued that Congress should retain its existing authority to determine the size of the Court.
Nine Justices Is Not Set by the Constitution
The U.S. Constitution does not specify how many justices must serve on the Supreme Court.
Congress has changed the size of the Court several times throughout American history. The current number of nine justices has been in place since 1869.
Amendment Faced a High Bar
Even if the proposal had received the required two-thirds vote in the House, it still would have needed approval by a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
After that, a constitutional amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states, or 38 states, before becoming part of the Constitution.
The vote comes amid continued political debate over the future structure of the Supreme Court and proposals by some Democrats in recent years to expand or otherwise reform the Court.
Sources: Reuters, AF Post / X
By NJ RADAR Team