“The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices.”
That is the language of the proposed “Keep Nine” Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It would permanently preserve the independence of the Supreme Court. We urge Members of Congress and candidates in both parties to endorse it.
The Constitution is silent on the size of the Supreme Court. Without an Amendment defining the number of Justices, a future Congress and President could change that number for political advantage. This strategy is known as “court packing.” The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who opposed Court packing, had called nine “a good number.”
Polling shows that a majority of voters believe that packing the Court would weaken the checks and balances on the abuse of power by a future President or Congress. Political positions, the occupant of the White House, and majorities in Congress can change over time. To permanently preserve the independence of the Court from a future President and Congress that might wish to manipulate it, a Constitutional Amendment is required.
In the same way that the 22nd Amendment codified the longstanding two term limit for Presidents, a new 28th Amendment would permanently preserve the current number of nine Supreme Court Justices
Bipartisan Effort:
Last year a bipartisan, nonpartisan group of former State Attorneys General formed the Coalition to Preserve the Independence of the United States Supreme Court. Of the original 15 AGs, 8 were Democrats and 7 were Republican. The purpose: support the Keep Nine Amendment to have it passed by 2/3 majority in the U. S. House and Senate and then ratified by 3/4 of the states. There now have been resolutions introduced in both Houses of Congress.
We urge all Americans, regardless of party, to endorse the “Keep Nine” Amendment. Their support will ensure the U.S. Supreme Court remains an independent guardian of our rights and freedoms for future generations.
If you support the KEEP NINE, Please sign the petition below.
Paul G. Summers Co-Chair for the Coalition – Former Attorney General of Tennessee
Thank you in advance for your support to STOP the Packing of the Supreme Court.
Click Here for Printable PDF version of the Keep Nine Petition
