End the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court, liberal lawmakers say after Dobbs

Left-wing lawmakers renewed calls Friday to end the Senate filibuster or expand the Supreme Court in response to the high court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that struck down its landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

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In the defense of its law, Mississippi directly asked the high court to reconsider its landmark rulings in both Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which legalized abortion nationwide. In its Dobbs ruling, the court found that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, overturning its precedent. The ruling makes the legality of abortion a matter for individual states, meaning abortion will be legal or illegal under state rather than federal law.

The ruling, to which pro-abortion rights Democrats strongly objected, brings into a new light their calls to end the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster, which would enable them to pass more liberal policy goals despite their slim majorities, or to expand the Supreme Court, a move that they argue would counteract some of then-President Donald Trump’s nominations, each of which had controversial elements to their nominations or confirmation processes.

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Even though Democrats currently control all three branches of government, they failed to pass sweeping abortion rights legislation earlier this year, where the bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, fell short in the Senate after failing to clear the filibuster, requiring at least 60 votes. An inability to clear that filibuster, which Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have expressed opposition to removing, leaves Democrats without a clear path to a legislative response to the ruling.

In a tweet, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote that the Senate should end the filibuster in order to codify the standard previously set by Roe.

“Overturning Roe v. Wade and denying women the right to control their own bodies is an outrage and in defiance of what the American people want,” Sanders said. “Democrats must now end the filibuster in the Senate, codify Roe v. Wade, and once again make abortion legal and safe.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who has long advocated adding additional justices to the court, told CNN that she stands by that call.

“Not only should we look at expanding the Supreme Court, but I think we need to acknowledge that the Supreme Court of the United States has very few checks and balances,” she said.

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY), a vocal advocate of expanding the court, said in a statement that the Supreme Court should be expanded beyond the nine-justice level that’s been in place since 1869.

“Anyone who claims to be outraged today must join in our movement to expand the Court.”

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“Once again, the far-right, hyperpartisan majority on the Supreme Court has done what many of us warned it would: continue to dismantle fundamental rights and undermine the freedom to make our own health care decisions,” Jones said in a tweet. “This is one of the darkest days in American history.”