Today I met Congresswoman Jayapal

[Tripper11]

Today I finally got to meet Congresswoman Jayapal who came in for an interview about the SC Affirmative Action ruling. I have interviewed her several times myself via zoom, but this was our first face to face meeting.
She's just as amazing in person as she is on zoom. I dig her politics big time! She speaks truth to power and is a string voice for the Democrats.
In the interview, she did say, unequivocally that the Supreme Court needs to be expanded. She hopes that that discussion will become more prominent in the near future because it needs to happen to try and bring some form of equality back to the courts.
Of course she said that the Dems have to win the house back and that they need a bigger margin in the senate. If that happens, then there is a lot she wants to help do to bring the country back inline.

I sheepishly admit that I was totally fan boying having the chance to meet and talk to her. Her time was tight, but I could talk to her all day about stuff and know that we agree on so much.

She is a progressives progressive!

Rock on Pramila!!

[JudyM]

1. You're both beaming, great to see.

Great psychological fuel for her to meet folks who have her back.

[brooklynite]

2. President Biden put the "expand the Court" mantra to bed today.

It won't happen.

[Celerity]

3. No he did not, the vast majority of our Party in Congress are pro expansion and that is not changing

anytime soon.

It will be a large issue in the 2028 Democratic POTUS primaries.

[brooklynite]

6. "Why Aren't Progressive Lawmakers Backing Supreme Court Expansion?"

https://ballsandstrikes.org/court-reform/judiciary-act-progressive-caucus/

The extent to which the Progressive Caucus has “joined the fight” in any meaningful sense, however, is sort of unclear, because as of now, only about half its members have actually added themselves as co-sponsors of the Judiciary Act. Given that public approval of and trust in the Court is falling while interest in Court expansion ticks upward, this apparent reticence to take a position is, to put it generously, puzzling.

Of course, establishment Democrats have long trailed behind their Republican counterparts when it comes to judicial politics: Together, presidential administrations and congressional leaders have neglected the task of confirming progressive judges, scrupulously defended the legitimacy of an institution captured by far-right interests, and steered clear from substantive discussions of Supreme Court reform. If ostensibly progressive lawmakers are as concerned as they claim to be about this conservative supermajority’s extremist agenda, signing their names to the one piece of legislation that would actually do something about it would seem like the least they could do.

Below is a list of every member of the Progressive Caucus who is not a co-sponsor of the Judiciary Act. We will update this list as necessary.

Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Shontel Brown (OH-11)

Matt Cartwright (PA-08)

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20)

Katherine Clark (MA-05)

Madeleine Dean (PA-04)

Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

Debbie Dingell (MI-12)

Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)

Dwight Evans (PA-03)

Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)

Lois Frankel (FL-21)

Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)

John Garamendi (CA-03)

Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)

Steven Horsford (NV-04)

Jared Huffman (CA-04)

Sara Jacobs (CA-53)

Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)

Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)

Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Dan Kildee (MI-05)

Andy Kim (NJ-03)

Brenda Lawrence (MI-14)

Mike Levin (CA-49)

Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)

Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

Gwen Moore (WI-04)

Joe Morelle (NY-25)

Joe Neguse (CO-02)

Donald Norcross (NJ-01)

Frank Pallone (NJ-06)

Jimmy Panetta (CA-20)

Katie Porter (CA-45)

Jamie Raskin (MD-08)

Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE)

Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)

Brad Sherman (CA-30)

Adam Smith (WA-09)

Darren Soto (FL-09)

Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)

Lori Trahan (MA-03)

Juan Vargas (CA-51)

Peter Welch (VT)

[Celerity]

10. as you well know, many Reps and Senators vote for legislation they are not co-sponsors of

here is the newest version of the bill

H.R.3422 - Judiciary Act of 2023

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3422/cosponsors?s=1&r=6

also

the website you used (Balls and Strikes, which is part of Demand Justice)



is itself pro court expansion

https://ballsandstrikes.org/

https://demandjustice.org/

[brooklynite]

12. Feel free to direct me to a list of actual supporters (sponsors or not)

With respect to the Senate, I've already met with Gallego, Tester and Brown, and haven't heard any support for Court expansion.

[brooklynite]

7. "The vast majority of our Party in Congress"

I've seen no such data. Its a massive leave from "dropping the filibuster" to "dropping the filibuster to expand the Court"

There's certainly not a majority of Democrats in the Senate in support of this.

[Celerity]

8. Most Dem Senators want to bin the filibuster full stop.

this is false:

There's certainly not a majority of Democrats in the Senate in support of this.

[brooklynite]

9. The filibuster, yes. Expanding the Court (my original point), no.

[Celerity]

11. it is easily a vast majority of the Dems Senators though, just not yet to 50 or 51

give it time, we are moving inthe right direction!

[hurl]

4. During his term

Others will be in power in the coming years who may have a different take. My hope is the next generation will be bolder and more willing to take the fight to the GQP.

[arthritisR_US]

5. Oh my god that picture is wonderful, you totally rock!

[iluvtennis]

14. +1. n/t

[Evolve Dammit]

13. Sweet!

[hydrolastic]

15. She's our representative and we love her!

She is brave too. Check her out in the balcony on Jan 6