US Congress blocks constitutional amendment limiting Supreme Court size

The US Congress rejected a constitutional amendment that would have restricted the size of the Supreme Court, marking the latest flashpoint in an ongoing partisan dispute over judicial authority and reform. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Democratic lawmakers for voting against the measure, characterizing their opposition as a failure to defend the court's institutional integrity.

The proposed amendment would have limited the number of justices serving on the nation's highest bench. Constitutional amendments require approval from two-thirds of both chambers of Congress before advancing to state ratification, a threshold the proposal failed to meet.

Democrats have previously championed court expansion proposals, arguing that expanding the bench would address ideological imbalances following recent conservative-majority decisions on abortion rights and other contentious issues. Republicans counter that such efforts represent dangerous politicization of the judiciary.

The vote underscores deep divisions between the two parties over the Supreme Court's composition and role in American governance. The debate reflects broader concerns about judicial independence and the proper scope of constitutional reform in an era of heightened partisan polarization.