Escalation: House Votes Down Amendment for Nine Justices

The House rejected a constitutional amendment to fix the Supreme Court at nine justices. The vote was 212 to 206, a simple majority that fell short of the two thirds needed for amendments. The measure was taken up under fast-track rules that require that higher threshold.

The proposal, by Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, would write into the Constitution that the Court has one chief justice and eight associate justices. The vote split largely along party lines, with all but one Democrat opposing. The failure leaves the effort without enough support to advance in the House.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources