House rejects GOP constitutional amendment to limit Supreme Court to 9 justices - CBS News

The amendment, proposed by GOP Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, would have written into the Constitution that the Supreme Court "shall be composed of nine justices consisting of one chief justice and eight associate justices." Supporters framed it as a safeguard against any future Congress or president expanding the court for political advantage.

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in both chambers before heading to the states for ratification, a bar that makes passage rare under any partisan conditions. The 212-to-206 tally wasn't particularly close, signaling the proposal had limited crossover appeal even as a messaging vehicle.

For people here in Lubbock, the vote lands in a region where skepticism of court-packing has run strong, and where federal judicial appointments regularly generate local conversation. A permanently fixed court would have taken that particular political lever off the table entirely, regardless of which party held power in Washington.

The Supreme Court has had nine justices continuously since 1869, meaning the amendment would have constitutionally codified an arrangement that has functioned by tradition and statute for more than 150 years.