AOC says expand the Supreme Court. Meeks, Meng and Jeffries say they are open to dramatic reforms

/
AP Photo/Paul Sancya

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

By David Brand

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says it’s time to expand the U.S. Supreme Court. Her Queens colleagues Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng and Hakeem Jeffries say they are open to a plan to offset the influence of the six conservative judges. 

 The steamrolling confirmation of Donald Trump’s third U.S. Supreme Court justice, Amy Coney Barrett, has enraged Democrats across the country and here at home. The move to replace late liberal jurist Ruth Bader Ginsburg a week before Election Day — and with early and absentee voting well under way — has galvanized voters and some members of Congress around a push to add more judges to the country’s highest court.

Adding more positions to the nine-member bench — known as “packing” the court — could neutralize the impact of conservative justices appointed by Republican Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Trump, they say. 

 Immediately after Coney Barrett was sworn in Monday, the Eagle reached out to the borough’s House delegation to get their stance on reforming the court. Four have so far responded.

Ocasio-Cortez does not hide her stance:

“Expand the court,” she tweeted Monday night. 

“Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do. And for a long time they’ve been correct,” she added in a follow-up tweet. “But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion.”

Expanding the court depends on Joe Biden winning the presidency while Democrats reclaim the Senate and hold the House.

Ocasio-Cortez’s office pointed to her tweets when contacted by the Eagle. They declined to answer questions about how many judges she thinks should be added to the Supreme Court and what would prevent a future Republican president and Congress from adding more judges. 

Her viral tweets reflect the fury felt by Democrats nationwide. Republican senators confirmed Coney Barrett eight days before the presidential election after refusing to even hold a hearing for President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland eight months before the 2016 contest. 

Meeks, Meng and Jeffries say they, too, are open to Supreme Court reforms, though in less clear language than Ocasio-Cortez. 

Meeks, chair of the Queens County Democratic Party, said Republicans have “stolen” two Supreme Court seats — the seat vacated by the February 2016 death of Antonin Scalia during Obama’s presidency and the seat opened in September following the death of Bader-Ginsburg. He said he is open to considering changes to the nine-member court.

The conservative imbalance “puts the healthcare for millions of Americans at risk, it puts women’s reproductive rights at risk, and I’m therefore open to looking carefully at any Supreme Court reforms on the table,” he said.

“I’m for rebalancing the courts,” he added. “Republicans have been packing courts for years.”

Meng, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, also said the conservative court threatens women’s health and reproductive rights. She said she would consider dramatic reforms., including term-limits.

“After last night’s hypocritical and sham process in which Senate Republicans rushed President Trump’s candidate though, we definitely need to take a look at reforming the organization of the Supreme Court — whether that means expanding the court or capping the number of years for justices to serve,” she said.

Jeffries, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said lawmakers will assess reshaping the Supreme Court after Election Day.

“In just a week, Americans will cast their judgment about the GOP's actions. Once the American people have been heard, we will assess how to proceed while keeping all constitutionally provided options on the table,” said Jeffries, whose 8th Congressional District includes a piece of Ozone Park and Howard Beach.

Three Queens members of Congress, Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Nydia Velazquez and Tom Suozzi, did not respond to requests for comment. This story will be updated with their responses.