Americans interviewed by Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill disagreed over whether the Supreme Court should remain at nine justices or be changed. Some favored keeping the current number, while others said a larger court could bring more perspectives. One interviewee said support for expansion would depend on how many seats were added.
The discussion comes amid competing proposals from lawmakers. House Republicans backed a constitutional amendment to permanently set the court’s size at nine. The measure failed in September to receive the two-thirds majority required in the House. A constitutional amendment would also require two-thirds support in the Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states.
Democratic proposals described in the report include legislation from Rep. Al Green of Texas to increase the court from nine to 13 justices, and a bill from Rep. Ro Khanna of California to establish 18-year terms of active service for newly appointed justices. Other proposals would set enforceable ethics standards and increase transparency around emergency rulings.
The court’s membership is not specified in the Constitution. Congress set the original number at six in 1789; the size changed several times during the 19th century before Congress established nine seats in 1869.
The interviews reflect individual views and do not establish broader public opinion. The article also reports competing partisan arguments about the motivation for changing the court, which remain political claims rather than findings established by the interviews.
