Hey Indivisibles,

Meagan Hatcher-Mays here, Indivisible’s Director of Democracy Policy. These past few months, I’ve been working alongside all of you to push for transformative changes in our democratic system -- from the sweeping reforms in the For the People Act to making D.C. a state and more. 

A few weeks ago, I was beyond excited when Representatives Mondaire Jones, Jerry Nadler, Hank Johnson, and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Judiciary Act of 2021, which would add 4 seats to the Supreme Court. This bill is a MAJOR step toward making sure our federal courts really serve the people.

Don’t freak out! I know the idea of expanding the Supreme Court seems like an extraordinary step to take. But we think it’s not only a good idea, it’s a necessary one. Let’s be real -- Republicans have already packed the courts with conservative ideologues who are more interested in protecting the GOP than they are in upholding the constitution. The Judiciary Act of 2021 is our chance to undo this decades-long power grab and restore balance to the Supreme Court.

And taking back the courts is crucial to making sure all the progress we'll make in this precious trifecta -- from voting rights, campaign finance reforms, and other democracy reform initiatives to climate, immigration, health care, economic justice, and more -- stays in place for the long haul.

Every piece of our democracy reform plan is interconnected, and Supreme Court expansion is part of that. Think of it this way:

Democracy reform is a marathon event. The starting buzzer that kicks off the race? Eliminating the filibuster. Until we do that, we can’t even start. Once that’s done, we run the marathon, passing key policies like the For the People Act, D.C. statehood, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and more to create a more representative, people-centered democracy (and it really is a marathon -- enacting all this will be a major accomplishment on its own).

But then, just as we’re getting to the finish line, six people stand in front of the finish line, ready to trip us up and take away all the progress we’ve made. Those six people are Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and their equally conservative colleagues on the Supreme Court, and with a 6-3 majority on the bench, they hold veto power over every policy we pass. That’s what we need to fix.

This movement has real power. In just four years since we were founded, we’ve won some incredible victories, and we’ve changed the narrative on some of the most important issues our country faces. That’s why I have faith that we can do it again. And the next step after we’ve done that -- protecting and preserving the progress we’ve made. That’s why we have no choice but to expand the Supreme Court, to undo what Republicans have done to rig the system so we can protect the power we put in the hands of the people. 

If you want to read more about all our plans to fix the judiciary, check out Unrig the Courts. And if you’re ready to take action on this right now, you can call your senators and representative today and ask them to cosponsor the court expansion bill in the Senate or House.

As always, I’m excited and inspired by the way Indivisibles get down to work even when it's hard. This is our chance to do just that, and the foundations of our democracy are at stake. Let’s get going.

In solidarity,

Meagan Hatcher-Mays

Director of Democracy Policy, Indivisible

P.S. -- All our work on democracy reform, from the policy guidance and resources we create to the call pages and tools we build to help activists like you contact your members of Congress, relies on grassroots support. If you can, click here to donate $10 to Indivisible to help us carry on our democracy reform work and win on all our progressive priorities.