Discussion · House of Representatives
Andy Biggs Republican
“The Supreme Court is not unfairly stacked. Last term, half of its rulings were unanimous, and only eight percent split strictly along party lines. Most cases had at least one liberal justice in the majority.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do think it is a charming and quaint argument to say that President Trump has packed the Court. Here are some patterns that you need to know just from the last term alone: 50 percent of the cases decided were decided unanimously. That doesn’t sound like a packed Court, and only 5 of 57 cases, just 8 percent, were decided 6-3 with six Republican appointees on one side and three Democrats on the other. Ninety percent of the 57 cases were decided with at least one liberal Justice in the majority, 90 percent. The three liberal Justices voted together in fewer than one-quarter of the nine unanimous cases. That doesn’t sound like packing. That sounds like a lot of thoughtful folks on the United States Supreme Court rendering decisions they believe in and they believe comprise constitutional opinion. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), who is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.”
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do think it is a charming and quaint argument to say that President Trump has packed the Court. Here are some patterns that you need to know just from the last term alone: 50 percent of the cases decided were decided unanimously. That doesn’t sound like a packed Court, and only 5 of 57 cases, just 8 percent, were decided 6-3 with six Republican appointees on one side and three Democrats on the other. Ninety percent of the 57 cases were decided with at least one liberal Justice in the majority, 90 percent. The three liberal Justices voted together in fewer than one-quarter of the nine unanimous cases. That doesn’t sound like packing. That sounds like a lot of thoughtful folks on the United States Supreme Court rendering decisions they believe in and they believe comprise constitutional opinion. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), who is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.