Politics

Town hall: Here’s what Biden said about packing the Supreme Court

Biden has refused to answer the question directly, calling it a distraction from Republicans’ rush to confirm Barrett before Election Day.

By The Associated Press

October 15, 2020

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Joe Biden says he is willing to take a position before Election Day on the idea of expanding the Supreme Court “depending on how” Republicans handle Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination.

Biden has refused to answer the question directly, calling it a distraction from Republicans’ rush to confirm Barrett before Election Day.

His latest answer Thursday in an ABC News town hall suggests Biden might be willing to consider some Democrats’ call to expand the court as a counter to GOP powerplays on the court in recent years.

Biden repeated Thursday that he’s “not a fan” of so-called court packing. But he also said he believes Republicans are violating the spirit of the Constitution with a confirmation process while people are already voting in the presidential election.

Republicans four years ago refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to succeed conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February of that presidential election year.