NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R- Tennessee) plans to introduce a new constitutional amendment in the U.S. House that would limit the number of Supreme Court seats to nine.
There's been recent talk from Democrat leaders about potentially expanding the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices serving on the bench. However, Green is looking to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Rep. Green said he plans to introduce the amendment on Thursday. Nine seats have been on the bench since 1869.
Talk of what's also known as court-packing, or expanding the number of seats on the Supreme Court, fired up after Republicans refused to hold hearings on President Barack Obama's choice of Merrick Garland after Justice Antonin Scalia died during election year.
After President Donald Trump took office, he nominated now Justice Neil Gorsuch.
In a statement, released Thursday morning, Green said "limiting the number of seats to the nine we have currently would help ensure the U.S. Supreme Court remain an impartial branch beholden to the Constitution and no political party."
