Your Words

¶ The Supreme Court is partisan on purpose

To protect our reproductive freedoms, we need to expand the Supreme Court.

The Judiciary Act of 2021 would add four new seats to the Supreme Court, bringing the number of justices to 13. It would help restore balance to a Court that Mitch McConnell has packed with right-wing extremists who just dismantled abortion care in America.

Recent polling showed that not only do a majority of Americans believe that the Supreme Court should uphold the right to abortion care, they also agree that we need to restore balance to the court and support adding additional judges to the Supreme Court.

I’m urging Congress to pass the Judiciary Act so we can create an institution that moves away from partisan politics and represents the good of all Americans.

— Carole Andress, Orlando

¶ A scary moment for America

This is a scary moment. The Supreme Court just dismantled abortion rights across America. As a result, twenty-six states could outlaw abortion, including 13 that have passed “trigger” laws to take effect immediately after the Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

This news should set off alarm bells for all Americans. Our fundamental freedoms are coming under attack by a hyper-partisan supermajority on the Court. And this could just be the beginning. But there’s a way to fight back, which is why I’m urging Congress to pass the Judiciary Act of 2021.

The Judiciary Act would rebalance the Supreme Court by adding four new seats, giving us 13 justices in total. It’s just what we need to move away from extremely partisan rulings and restore the legitimacy of the Court — and it’s been done before. In fact, Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court seven times already in our nation’s history. A recent poll showed that the majority of Americans support expanding the court again now.

It’s past time for Congress to get on board with this crucial bill.

— Annette Padilla, Avalon Park

¶ Defying Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish

When Donald Trump was in office, he and Mitch McConnell made three lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court. McConnell went so far as to defy Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish — that the next president appoint her replacement — by packing the Court with Amy Coney Barrett just eight days before the 2020 election.

The result? Today’s Supreme Court has been taken over by a hyperpartisan supermajority that just dismantled abortion care in America. For the first time the Supreme Court has taken away a constitutional right, a right 70% of our citizens want and support. With no legal grounds. The brief is riddled with flimsy logic. And hints at coming after other precedents for rights the large majority of our country also supports.

But there’s something we can do. The Judiciary Act of 2021 would add four seats to the Supreme Court bench — restoring balance to the court. It’s the solution we need to move away from the extremely partisan rulings that now threaten our fundamental freedoms. Recent polling showed that the majority of voters support expanding the court.

Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court seven times already in our nation’s history. It’s time to do it again. I’m urging our representatives to back this important bill now so we know they want to protect the rights of the American people. The stakes are too high to stay quiet on this important issue.

— J Ahearn, Apopka

¶ The Judiciary Act would add four seats to SCOTUS

Right now, the right to abortion care is at risk because of a deliberate, decades-long takeover of the Supreme Court by powerful right-wing extremists. We’re seeing the culmination of this takeover as the Court just overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that made abortion access a constitutional right. This opens the door for states to outlaw abortion and take us back to a time when women were forced to go through with an unwanted pregnancy, potentially endangering their health and hurting their ability to provide for their families.

But it’s possible to undo this damage. The Judiciary Act would add four seats, restoring balance to the Supreme Court. It’s the solution that recent polling showed is supported by the majority of Americans, and it’s what we need to move away from partisan rulings that dismantle our rights and freedoms. And it’s been done before. In fact, Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court seven times already in our nation’s history. It’s time to do it again.

I’m urging Congress to pass the Judiciary Act of 2021 to ensure we protect our fundamental freedoms and restore balance to our courts now.

— Georgie Pratt, Winter Park