Explaining Court Packing
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We ran the numbers: There are 1448 news articles covering this topic. 34% (499) are left leaning, 50% (717) are center, and 16% (282) are right leaning.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden and running mate Senator Kamala Harris have faced growing pressure from Republicans to say if they’d try to “pack” the Supreme Court if Democrats were to win the White House and Congress in November. While left-leaning articles highlight that Arizona expanded its state Supreme Court four years ago, right-leaning articles highlight that White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that voters deserve to know what Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s position is on packing the Supreme Court.
A left-leaning article by Politico highlights that four years ago, Arizona expanded its state Supreme Court when Republican Governor Doug Ducey held a ceremony in the Old Capitol building to swear in a sixth and seventh justice. Ducey’s efforts to pack the court didn’t cost him politically, and the expansion scheme affected the outcome of at least one recent landmark case.
A centrist article by ABC News reports that the concept of “packing” a court is the idea of adding more justices to secure a desired majority. The article notes that the Constitution does not set the number of justices on the Court, and Congress can change the number by passing an act that is then signed by the president.
A right-leaning article by Fox News highlights that White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that voters deserve to know what Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s position is on packing the Supreme Court. McEnany’s comment was a response to Biden’s comment on Friday saying that voters don’t deserve to know if he would attempt to pack the Supreme Court if he wins in November and Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed.