US Congress rejects constitutional amendment to restrict Supreme Court size

What the report says

The US House of Representatives has rejected a Republican-led constitutional amendment that would have permanently capped the Supreme Court at nine justices, according to Al Jazeera. The vote on Wednesday fell short of the two-thirds support needed for a constitutional change, ending at 212 in favor and 206 opposed. The measure was largely split along party lines, with North Carolina Democrat Don Davis voting yes and California Independent Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with Republicans, voting no.

Al Jazeera reported that the vote came one day after the House also approved a separate Republican-backed resolution condemning socialism. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Democrats on social media for opposing both measures, saying lawmakers had an obligation to defend the Constitution and the court’s integrity. Republicans framed the actions as messaging votes ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The debate reflects a broader fight over the future structure of the Supreme Court. Some Democrats have called for adding justices to counter its conservative majority, while Republicans argue that such proposals would amount to politically motivated court expansion. The US Constitution does not set the court’s size, and the current nine-seat structure has been in place since 1869. The issue has surfaced repeatedly in recent years amid partisan tensions over the judiciary and the court’s role in major political disputes.