Republicans have already compromised high court

THE RECENT column by several former state attorneys general warning against increasing the size of the United States Supreme Court beyond its current nine justices, lest its “independence” be compromised, would be a bit more persuasive if it had at least noted some recent events that have already done so.

First, the Supreme Court decided the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush by a 5-4 partisan vote, using a power that the Constitution certainly does not seem to envision.

Second, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided to pack the Supreme Court by refusing to even hold hearings on former President Barack Obama’s nomination of a well-regarded moderate jurist, Merrick Garland. This left the court with only eight justices for many months.

Third, since the election of President (Donald) Trump, Sen. McConnell has made no secret of his intention to pack the federal judiciary in a highly partisan manner, based in no small part on the number of openings that were available to President Trump due to Sen. McConnell’s refusal to even consider many of Obama’s nominations to the federal courts during the last years of his term.

The independence of the federal judiciary as a co-equal branch of government is indeed crucial to our constitutional system. Republican efforts in recent years have compromised that independence.

JACK TAYLOR Albuquerque