What if Congress and the President Agreed On This?

******** Two Justices Added to Supreme Court********

Congress Trades Unlimited War Funding for Two New Justices

Washington, D.C.-- Over the weekend, Congressional leaders and the White House convened a secret meeting that may change the course of history. In exchange for unconditional support for the war in Iraq, the Court will be expanded by two seats for a total of eleven Justices. The Democratic controlled Congress will get a more liberal Court and the President will have carte blanche on war spending.

At 2:57 a.m. EST last night, the President invoked his Article II authority and with the advice and consent of the Senate, two new left-leaning Court Justices were appointed to the nation's highest Court: Hon. Gerald Mason, District Court Judge, and Hon. Russell L. Little, District Court Judge. The new Justices will be sworn in later today prior to the Court hearing its first case of the new term.

Prof. James Early, Dean and Professor of Law at Lawson Law School said, "This is not unprecedented. The U.S. Constitution does not specify the precise number of Justices, and Article III, Section I grants Congress the authority to set the size of the Court. The President is then authorized to appoint new Justices with the Senate's approval."

He went on to explain that the number of Justices was initially set at six in accordance with the Judiciary Act of 1789. Since then it has been changed several times with seven members in 1807, nine in 1837 and ten in 1863. The Circuit Judges Act of 1869 reset the number at nine, where it currently stood until today.

No other details were available.

What would the backlash on that scenario be?

Comments

[SamThornton]

Giving Bush anything: bad idea; expanding the Court: priceless.

The Supremes have been whining for years their workload is too great and they need help. Congress should listen and add a few new slots. I'd prefer 4 new justices so we'd have a total of 13, but I'm just one person.

[Scine]

Source?

[sedalia066]

Any time this Congress and this President agree I fear we, the public are in big trouble.

[unitron]

"What if Congress and the President Agreed On This?"

Then I'd have at least two reasons to be very afraid of it.