Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) condemned the 205 Democrats who voted against Representative Andy Biggs's (R-AZ) proposed Constitutional amendment, which caps the number of Supreme Court justices at nine.
The Context
Rep. Biggs introduced House Joint Resolution 1 in early January 2025, which proposes drafting a Constitutional amendment to officially limit the number of Supreme Court justices to nine: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices.
It passed out of the House Judiciary Committee in June of this year and reached the House floor for a vote this week.
Rep. Biggs spoke on the House floor ahead of the vote, saying, "Packing the court is not simply a policy disagreement; it is an attempt to change the structure of one of the three branches of government in order to guarantee the outcome you want. That is not reform. That is revolution. And here is the question every American should ask: If a sitting majority can change the size of the Supreme Court the moment it dislikes a ruling, what happens the next time the other side is in power?"
He emphasized that court-packing would nullify the judiciary's independence and become "another political institution controlled by whoever happens to hold a majority," further pointing out that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) once told Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they had "unleashed a whirlwind" and "will pay the price."
Someone later attempted to assassinate Kavanaugh.
Gosar's Response After the Vote
Ultimately, the resolution failed on party lines, with 205 Democrats voting against the measure.
Rep. Gosar took to X, writing, "Democrats dropped the mask today. 205 House Democrats just voted against keeping SCOTUS at nine justices. They no longer hide it: Give them power, and they'll pack the Court until they get the rulings they want. That's not justice. It's judicial tyranny."
