July 22, 1937 - Senate Rejects FDR's Court Packing Scheme
On this day in 1937, the U.S. Senate (by a 70-20 margin) defeated President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal to add more Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. FDR followed his landslide reelection in 1936 with a proposal to expand the Court by adding one new Justice for every sitting Justice over the age of seventy. Although this "court-packing" plan was defeated, in his next three terms as President, Roosevelt was able to gradually appoint all new members of the Supreme Court.
Related Resources:
- U.S. Supreme Court Center (FindLaw)
- U.S. Supreme Court - Official Site
- Federal Judiciary Timeline (Justice Learning)
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