The Iowa Standard joined Sen. Chuck Grassley for his Capitol Hill Report this week. We asked Sen. Grassley if there is anything going on in D.C. regarding Democrat hopes to add justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“You know that I think this is a stupid idea. And also, I think it was Justice Ginsburg who said nine is the right number. It’s been this way since 1869. Only for a very short period of time — maybe two or three years — did we have 10 people on the Supreme Court. And a lot of times we had less than nine. And I think it’s worked out good for 150 years and we ought to continue where we are. I don’t hear much discussion, and pretty simple to answer your question from this standpoint, if it takes 60 votes to accomplish it and we don’t do away with the filibuster, it’ll never happen. And, even if they did do away with the filibuster I’d have some doubts if it could happen because I’ve heard that some Democrats don’t like it.”
Grassley was then asked if he thought the Democrat attack on the filibuster has any chance to succeed.
“Of course, if the Democrats stuck together it would have a chance of succeeding. We know of at least two that have spoken out against it and if they don’t change their mind, it can’t happen…I can’t see that (Biden) is going to change Sinema and then Manchin. I wouldn’t expect you to know this, but we have a feeling that there are five or six other Democrats that don’t have the guts to speak up at this point that maybe think it shouldn’t be done as well…It isn’t just packing the Supreme Court, Democrats are upset that they can’t push their radical agenda with the 60-vote requirement.”
