Utah Sens. Mike Lee, Mitt Romney back bill to prevent Democratic 'court packing'

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's two Republican senators signed on to a bill Monday calling for a constitutional amendment to keep the U.S. Supreme Court at nine justices to prevent Democratic "court packing" — an idea some 2020 presidential candidates are entertaining.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced the legislation in the Senate to limit the court to nine seats, which it has had since 1869. The Constitution allows Congress to decide how many justices sit on the Supreme Court.

Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney are among the dozen senators backing the proposal.

Lee said the court has functioned "admirably" for nearly 150 years.

"To change that number now, for the barest of partisan reasons, would fundamentally delegitimize the court and throw our entire constitutional framework into question," he said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900062291/sens-mike-lee-mitt-romney-back-bill-to-prevent-democratic-court-packing.html