S.J.Res. 16 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Feb 6, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLocks Supreme Court at nine justices
This proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the Supreme Court to always have exactly nine justices. Right now, Congress has the power to change the number of justices, but this amendment would set that number in the Constitution itself, making it much harder to change.
How it affects you
This is a constitutional matter that doesn't create direct day-to-day changes for most people. However, it would affect how the Supreme Court operates and how Congress could reshape it in the future—something that matters if you care about the balance of power between branches of government.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 6, 2025)
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the Supreme Court to consist of nine 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 SessionS.J.Res. 16
JOINT RESOLUTION
A 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: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) · Introduced Feb 6, 2025 · Law · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 6, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.”