Overview
- Rep. James Clyburn said on Sunday that Congress should expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices and warned the current court’s rulings risk rolling back civil‑rights gains while saying he regrets having supported Clarence Thomas’s 1991 confirmation.
- His on‑air endorsement follows public comments from other prominent Democrats, including former vice president Kamala Harris and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who have said court reform is on the table.
- A broader Democratic reform package filed in mid‑August proposes not only expansion but also fixed 18‑year staggered terms, enforceable ethics rules, and limits on the court’s emergency 'shadow docket', though passage faces Senate filibuster rules and GOP opposition.
- Conservative commentators and outlets framed Clyburn’s remarks as partisan 'court‑packing' that could threaten judicial independence, while progressive outlets presented the move as a mainstreaming of long‑standing reform efforts.
- Calls for reform are driven by a sharp rightward turn in recent Supreme Court decisions and record‑low public confidence in the institution, and Democrats are using the proposals as organizing issues that will likely produce legal challenges if enacted.