MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Ralph Norman

Republican SC 2 statements translated

House of Representatives

Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to Require That the Supreme Court of the United States Be Composed of Nine Justices

2026-09-02

“I support this amendment. I don't want more justices. I want things to stay the same. Court packing is bad. It was bad before. It's bad now. If we add justices now, we'll just keep adding more. That would be bad. We need to respect the court. We shouldn't change it when we don't like the rulings.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Mr. Biggs' constitutional amendment. As Congressman Jordan mentioned, this is serious business. Just like it is serious business about what the other party did on letting 20 to who knows illegals in this country to create a power base. That is who you are going to have to answer to, the public. That is who this country is paying for now. The 20 to 30, who knows, illegals in this country. Why don't you pass the SAVE Act, which is just a verification that you are an American citizen to vote? This is following a dangerous path, and I am glad the citizens are finally showing up to recognize the problem that we have with this. Just the other day, my Democratic colleague Jim Clyburn said he wants to pack the Court with 13 Justices. I couldn't disagree more. South Carolina doesn't need a baker's dozen of Supreme Court Justices. We need politicians to respect the independence of the nine that we already have. Court packing was a bad idea when FDR tried it in 1937. It is a bad idea today. Even members of his own party pushed back against this scheme. FDR wanted to reshape the Supreme Court that was standing in the way of his agenda. The same principle is at work here today: When you don't like the ruling, change the Court. The Constitution does not guarantee either party the Supreme Court decisions it wants. Losing a case is not justification for adding Justices. Thirteen is not some magic number. Once politicians start changing the size of the Court to get favorable rulings, there is no logical stopping point. Today it is 13. Tomorrow it could be 17 and then 21. That would turn the Supreme Court into just another political arm of Congress. Mr. Speaker, you don't protect democracy by changing the rules every time you lose. You protect it by respecting our institutions, even when you disagree with the outcomes. The answer is to take Court packing off the table permanently, which is why I support this.

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House of Representatives

Honoring Senator Lindsey Graham

2026-07-15

“I want to say good things about Lindsey Graham too. Lindsey Graham did a lot for South Carolina. He helped people and brought money to our state. He fought for what he believed in. He was a nice guy even if you disagreed with him. He did a lot for our military and veterans. People in South Carolina will miss him. Thank you for letting me talk about him.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank Congressman Wilson for organizing this tribute to a dear friend of all of us, not only in South Carolina but all over every State in this country. I wish everyone could have been in the Senate well when Darline, his sister, took the oath of office from the President pro-tempore of the Senate and then took the desk that Lindsey had occupied for 24 years in the Senate. It was moving. It was a tribute to Lindsey Graham that she was able to do this and appointed by Governor McMaster. Lindsey understood that success in South Carolina meant looking out for every South Carolinian. Whether it was a major defense project or a small-town infrastructure need, he fought to bring Federal resources back to South Carolina and make sure that every corner of our State had a voice in Washington, D.C. From securing the Medal of Honor for a marine, Major James Capers--it was a 5-year timeframe to work to get Major Capers the Medal of Honor, Lindsey was a part of that--to supporting our military installations, strengthening our border security, defending the rights of States and advancing priorities that benefit South Carolina, we worked side-by- side on issues that mattered to those back home. He believed in delivering results, not just making speeches. He knew that the work of elected officials is measured by what they accomplish for the people they represent, and he consistently fought to ensure that South Carolina received its fair share of opportunities. We didn't have to agree on every issue. Lindsey never had an enemy that I knew of, and you could disagree with him while not being disagreeable. When there was an opportunity to move the State forward, Lindsey was willing to put the work in. This was evidenced to me when I went on a trip to Munich, Germany, back in 2020. I think it was a 4-day trip. I watched him go to every meeting of every country that was there primarily to share our ideas and to bring companies back to the United States, which benefited every State in the Union. He had a passion for that, particularly a passion for Ukraine and other countries that he had a belief in. His legacy will include far more than legislation. He will be remembered in the communities that benefited from his advocacy, the veterans he fought for, the historic sites he worked to preserve, and the love he continuously included and worked for for countless South Carolinians. Lives were improved, families benefited from the efforts that they showed. He had a constituency staff second to none. If you called Lindsey Graham's office, he did what he could to help you out, regardless of whether you were from South Carolina or not. He was a funny man. Like any good comedian, it is not what he said, it is how he said it. Lindsey Graham made his life work for the betterment of South Carolina and the betterment of others. He will be sorely missed in this State and sorely missed by Darline, who he raised and adopted after both parents died. We thank him for a life well lived. Again, I thank Joe for having this moment to recognize a great man.

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