Senate GOP writes letter to the Supreme Court, pledging not to allow Dems to 'pack the Court'

[CatWoman]

WASHINGTON -- Pledging not to allow Democrats to "pack the Court," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his GOP colleagues in the chamber sent a letter to the Supreme Court Thursday that pushes back on a friend-of-the-court brief recently filed by five Senate Democrats in a Second Amendment case currently before the high court.

All 53 of the Republicans in the Senate signed the letter.

The brief from the handful of Democratic senators urged the Supreme Court to reject as moot a challenge to New York City's gun laws, which involves a defunct law that barred the transport of firearms to gun ranges outside the city, writing that the courts "do not undertake political 'projects.' Or at least they should not."

The Democrats included in their brief that voters may demand that the nation's highest court be “restructured in order to reduce the influence of politics” -- a reference to polling data the Democratic senators also cited in the brief -- if it continues on its current course.


Some have viewed the Democratic amicus brief as a warning to the court to reach a particular outcome in the case or it could face a push from Democrats on Capitol Hill and some segments of the public for structural changes.

In the letter, McConnell and his colleagues said the Democratic brief “openly threatened this Court with political retribution if it failed to dismiss the petition as moot.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/29/mitch-mcconnell-senate-gop-write-letter-supreme-court/2157025001/

[Andy823]

1. Well we all know

Only republicans can, change the rules, and use every dirty trick in the book to pack the courts with their crazy, unqualified judges.

[Grasswire2]

2. You bet your bippy Dems are going to pack the court.

And get statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico, too.

Might as well make your getaway now, McConnell.

Things are going to deteriorate for you. Very soon.

Traitor.

[FBaggins]

4. Let's at least avoid saying that out loud.

We have to win the White House and take back the senate (likely a supermajority) to actually have a choice here...
... and making it that explicit makes the chances of that victory almost disappear

[FBaggins]

3. Just as stupid as the original brief

The biggest difference being that only five of our senators were that boneheaded

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Translated: We will NEVER allow a nominee favored by the Democrats to assume duties of The Court.

[Mc Mike]

6. Definitely favor court restructuring.

Add 6 new young members, let the 4 legit old hand Justices take a rest, and fix things for Democracy, legally, right away.

[UTUSN]

7. What part of "no politics" for the Court don't these a-holes understand?!1

[harumph]

9. Unfortunately - everything is political - even the courts.

Wish it weren't but...

[pansypoo53219]

8. the right has been packing in as many rite wingers as they can + stalling democratic pics for

DECADES. no more GOP packing.

[Yeehah]

10. Adding S.C. justices would be constitutional

Refusing to act on President Obama's S.C. nominee was unconstitutional.

[FBaggins]

13. Half right

There was no more constitutional requirement to act on Obama’s nominees than there was to act on Bush’s.

[W_HAMILTON]

11. How will they stop them?

McConnell and the Republicans already set the precedent of requiring only a simple majority to confirm Supreme Court nominees. If a Democratic-led Senate and Democratic president want to add more justices, what are Republicans gonna do to stop them? Not a damn thing.

Now, if only we can get a Democratic-led Senate and a Democratic president that will pledge to add more justices...