House Democrats Introduce Controversial Bill To Expand U.S. Supreme Court

In Washington, House Democrats have introduced a controversial bill to expand the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill has its supporters and opponents, and passage is questionable; CBS2's Andrea Grymes reports.

[paulskopic]

It is a done deal with a bit of theater to baffle the masses.

[newportislandjim]

CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION TO EXPAND SUPREME COURT
The measure would increase the court's size to 13.
Congress originally set the number of seats on the Supreme Court at six, lifetime appointments. It was hard to keep Justices on the Supreme Court. They were appointed to resolve simple legal disputes and not given the power to decide whether acts of Congress were constitutional. In the first year, nothing came to the Court. They had a two-hour session in 1790 in a second floor room in a building in New York. They had no cases, and so they all went home. Then the justices were compelled to ride a circuit of hundreds of miles, twice a year-to preside over lower Courts. People didn't stay on the Court very long. The first Chief Justice, John Jay, left to be governor of New York. The President wanted to reappoint Jay to the Court again but he refused saying, "The Supreme Court is not a great job. No thank you."
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence signed by Congress on July 4, 1776.
Thomas Jefferson declared "Our Constitution did not give the Supreme Court right to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. If it did, our constitution would be "felo de se, " [an act of suicide]." —Thomas Jefferson 1819. ME 15:212
"To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions would be a very dangerous doctrine and would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men, not more. They have the same passions for party and power. Giving them more power would be more dangerous because they are in office for life and not elected by the American people. The Constitution did not create a Supreme Court with the power to declare acts of Congress and the American people unconstitutional. The framers of our Constitution knew that if the Supreme Court were given that power, Supreme Court Justices would become despots with the corruptions of time and party. The framers of our Constitution more wisely made all the departments co-equal and co-sovereign within themselves.—Thomas Jefferson 1820. ME 15:277
Jefferson was right.
A study from Princeton spells determined that “Over the past few decades, the America's political system has slowly transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy where wealthy elites wield the most power.”
Data drawn from over 1, 800 different policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, indicates that “Rich, well-connected individuals on the political scene now determine the direction of the country, not America's voters.”
Our Constitution gave Congress the power to make laws. At that time, our founding fathers saw corrupt judiciaries as the enemy of social reform and wanted a separation of powers between branches of government. Abraham Lincoln later declared ours is "A government of the people, by the people and for the people." But "If the policy of the Government is fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court, the people will have ceased to be their own rulers." The Supreme Court decided the Dred Scott case by claiming "The authors of the Constitution had viewed Negros as “beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations, and so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” The Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not people and over turned the Missouri Compromise. The end result was the Civil War.
The Court is destroying our democracy by substituting the will of a few justices for the will of the public and elected representatives.
Consider the recent case, Citizens United where 5 of the 9 members of the Supreme Court struck down a law by Congressional Republicans and Democrats preventing money in politics from corrupting democracy. Supreme Court Justice Stevens wrote "The Court’s ruling dramatically enhances the role of corporations and unions in determining who will hold public office.
Congress has placed limitations on campaign spending by corporations since 1907. The majority "blazes through" and rules against 100 years of Supreme Court decisions. The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation...and will damage to this institution.
The Court "short circuited the democratic process by preventing laws embodying the will of the people." The Judges overruled settled lawn with unsubstantiated assertions, manufacturing (making up...), and turning its back on campaign finance litigation.The Court pulls out the rug beneath Congress disrespecting a coequal branch.
The Court rejects of 100 years of settled law only because of the composition of this Court has changed. Today’s ruling strikes down the bedrock principles of law. Today's Court is going against the framers of the Constitution who "feared that Corporate evils would concentrate the worst urges of men. Thomas Jefferson famously noted that corporations would subvert the Republic."
After the Supreme Court's ruling, massive amounts of "Dark money" were allowed to flood campaigns. Dark money groups provide a way for foreign countries to hide their activity from U.S. voters and law enforcement agencies increasing Russia and other foreign country's ability to influence foreign policy in their interest instead of America's interest. Many believe China is overtaking us as the world leader. Polls taken in the weeks after the decision showed widespread strong disagreement with the decision. A Washington Post-ABC News poll found that “eight in ten poll respondents opposed the decision." Eighty-seven percent of Americans polled believed that members of Congress are influenced more by donors than by constituents’ views. 94 percent of Americans blamed wealthy political donors for political dysfunction. Voters say "We don't have a representative government anymore."
Thomas Jefferson was right about corporations and the Supreme Court subverting our democracy. Time to take back our democracy.