General Discussion

Newsom pours water on Supreme Court expansion but favors filibuster reform

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), a leading party figure and potential future candidate for president, on Thursday dismissed calls to expand the Supreme Court, which are gaining traction with other Democratic officeholders.

“No, because my kids are going to live with a Supreme Court that’s larger than Congress,” he said, predicting that if Democrats expand the high court from nine to 13 justices to balance out conservatives, Republicans will retaliate with a similar tactic when they return to power.

Three Democratic senators have sponsored a bill to expand the size of the Supreme Court, and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) hasn’t ruled out considering it on the floor at some point in the future, though right now Democrats couldn’t get it past a Republican filibuster.

But Newsom, who visited Capitol Hill on Thursday, said he is open to reforming the Senate’s filibuster rule, which has allowed Republicans to bring President Biden’s agenda to a grinding halt.