H.J.Res. 1 · Where this bill is now
Failed in the House
Failed Sep 2, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLocks Supreme Court at nine justices
This is a proposed constitutional amendment that would set the number of Supreme Court justices in stone. Right now, Congress can change how many justices sit on the Court, but this amendment would require exactly nine justices—one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices—and it couldn't be changed without another constitutional amendment.
How it affects you
This doesn't have an immediate effect on most people's daily lives. It's a structural change about how the Court itself works. If it passed, it would prevent future Congresses from adding or removing justices to shift the Court's makeup, but that would mainly matter to people focused on how the judicial system is organized.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 3, 2025)
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the Supreme Court to be composed of nine Justices—one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH.J.Res. 1
JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Law · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 2, 2026: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 212 - 206 (Roll no. 293).”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Sep 2, 2026
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Failed 212–206
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 1 | 205 | 8 |
| Independents | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Republicans | 211 | 0 | 7 |
1 member voted against most of their party: 1 Democrats voted Yes.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.