Immediately after Amy Coney Barrett confirmation, 'the Squad' hits airwaves to promote court-packing

Immediately after Amy Coney Barrett confirmation, ‘the Squad’ hits airwaves to promote court-packing

Published October 27, 2020 2:17pm ET



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of “the Squad” called for the expansion of the Supreme Court moments after Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the court Monday night.

“Expand the court,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, following the 52-48 Senate vote along party lines to confirm Barrett.

“Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do,” the New York Democrat added. “And for a long time they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion.”

Fellow Squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar echoed Ocasio-Cortez’s call on Twitter, arguing that expanding the court would “fix this broken system.”

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat and member of the Squad, also tweeted about expanding the court, saying it’s a necessary move if “we’re serious about the transformational change the people are crying out for.”

Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley retweeted a video calling for “court reform” following the confirmation of now-Justice Barrett.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hasn’t ruled out adding judges to the Supreme Court if Democrats take control of the chamber in November, saying in September that “nothing is off the table.”