Sen. Tina Smith becomes first cosponsor of bill to expand U.S. Supreme Court

(FOX 9) - U.S. Senator Tina Smith became the first Senate cosponsor of a bill to expand the U.S. Supreme Court from nine justices to 13, the senator's office announced Tuesday.

Sen. Smith cosponsored Senator Ed Markey’s legislation, The Judiciary Act, which would add four seats to the Court.

"Republicans have been working to politicize the U.S. Supreme Court for forty years, with the help of dark money and the Federalist Society," Sen. Smith said in the release. "With Donald Trump’s help, they stole two seats, ensuring an ultra-conservative Court that is drastically out of step with the American people. Allowing Texas’ extreme ban on abortion to stand is just the latest demonstration that much of the current Court has become dangerously unmoored from any reasonable principles of legal analysis. Doing nothing is not an option - we need to abolish to the filibuster and reform and expand the Court. We have to pass The Judiciary Act to restore the U.S. Supreme Court back to reflecting our nation’s principles and core beliefs."