A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of not more than 9 justices.

12/14/2023, 10:18 PM

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution requiring the Supreme Court to be composed of not more than nine Justices.

Bill 118 SJRes 16 is a joint resolution that proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The purpose of this amendment is to mandate that the Supreme Court of the United States be made up of no more than 9 justices. Currently, the number of justices on the Supreme Court is not specified in the Constitution, and has fluctuated over time.

This resolution seeks to establish a fixed number of justices on the Supreme Court in order to prevent any potential expansion or reduction of the Court's size in the future. The idea behind this proposal is to maintain the stability and integrity of the Supreme Court by ensuring that the number of justices remains consistent and not subject to political manipulation.

Supporters of this resolution argue that a fixed number of justices would help depoliticize the Supreme Court and prevent any attempts to pack the Court with additional justices for partisan purposes. Critics, however, raise concerns about the potential limitations this amendment could impose on future generations and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Overall, Bill 118 SJRes 16 is a significant proposal that aims to address the issue of the Supreme Court's composition and ensure its independence and impartiality. It will be interesting to see how this resolution progresses through the legislative process and whether it garners enough support to become a constitutional amendment.
Congress
118

Number
SJRES - 16

Introduced on
2023-02-16

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

2/16/2023

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution requiring the Supreme Court to be composed of not more than nine Justices.

Bill 118 SJRes 16 is a joint resolution that proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The purpose of this amendment is to mandate that the Supreme Court of the United States be made up of no more than 9 justices. Currently, the number of justices on the Supreme Court is not specified in the Constitution, and has fluctuated over time.

This resolution seeks to establish a fixed number of justices on the Supreme Court in order to prevent any potential expansion or reduction of the Court's size in the future. The idea behind this proposal is to maintain the stability and integrity of the Supreme Court by ensuring that the number of justices remains consistent and not subject to political manipulation.

Supporters of this resolution argue that a fixed number of justices would help depoliticize the Supreme Court and prevent any attempts to pack the Court with additional justices for partisan purposes. Critics, however, raise concerns about the potential limitations this amendment could impose on future generations and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Overall, Bill 118 SJRes 16 is a significant proposal that aims to address the issue of the Supreme Court's composition and ensure its independence and impartiality. It will be interesting to see how this resolution progresses through the legislative process and whether it garners enough support to become a constitutional amendment.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of not more than 9 justices.

Policy Areas
Law

Potential Impact
Constitution and constitutional amendments•
Judges•
Supreme Court

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary5/3/2023

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution requiring the Supreme Court to be composed of not more than nine Justices.


Latest Action2/16/2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.