Since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement a few weeks ago, we've heard a lot of buzz about the confirmation battle ahead. We also need to be thinking about the fate of the Supreme Court as an institution.
President Biden's commitment to nominating a Black woman jurist to fill Breyer's seat is a good start. But, in Rep. Ayanna Pressley's words, justice is "not actualized by any one person."1
In order to stop the Supreme Court's attack on our basic rights, this country needs a progressive Black woman on the court — and we also need structural reform. Congress must add seats to the Supreme Court. Add your name if you agree.
Rep. Pressley clearly stated in a recent interview: "We need to nominate and confirm a Black woman to the Supreme Court. We need to pass Rep. [Hank] Johnson and [Mondaire] Jones's legislation to expand the courts, for which there is precedence: Congress has done this seven times before."2
Congress can pass legislation to rebalance the Supreme Court now, before Republicans have the chance to secure a Congressional majority in the midterms. It's constitutional, it's happened before, and it's the only way to stop the radical right takeover of our courts and our country!
In early February, the far right supermajority on the Supreme Court allowed racist gerrymandering to continue in Alabama, effectively disenfranchising Black voters.3 And we're likely to see the court deliver more racist, pro-corporate decisions on voting rights, abortion, affirmative action, and gun rights in the months to come.
As 14 Black women lawmakers wrote to President Biden, it's clearer than ever that the administration must "appoint a Black woman with a strong track record of advancing civil and constitutionally protected rights" to the Supreme Court. It's also clear that it's time to expand the Supreme Court — before Republicans have the chance to secure a congressional majority in the midterms.4 Congress can and must add seats to the Supreme Court right now!
Sign the petition: Urge Congress to expand the Supreme Court and save our basic rights!
Sources:
1. Grid News, "Ayanna Pressley wants Biden to do more than name a Black woman to the Supreme Court," February 14, 2022.
2. Ibid.
3. New York Times, "Supreme Court Restores Alabama Voting Map That a Court Said Hurt Black Voters," February 7, 2022.
4. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, "Black Women Members of the House to Pres. Biden on SCOTUS Nominee," February 10, 2022.