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PoliticsJuly 22, 1937: US Senate rejects FDR's court-packing plan 70-20
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On July 22, 1937, the United States Senate voted decisively against President Franklin D. Roosevelt's controversial Court-Packing plan by a margin of 70 to 20. The plan, proposed earlier that year, aimed to expand the Supreme Court by adding up to six new justices, ostensibly to ease the workload of aging judges but widely seen as an attempt to shift the Court's ideological balance in favor of Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. The Senate's overwhelming rejection marked a significant political defeat for Roosevelt and preserved the Court's existing structure. The article, published by Reason.com under The Volokh Conspiracy, highlights this historical event as a key moment in Supreme Court and American political history.
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Historical Note: July 22, 1937
On this date, the U.S. Senate voted down President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Court-Packing plan by a margin of 70 to 20.
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Today in Supreme Court History: July 22, 1937