ALABAMA STATE CAPITOL (334) 242-7200 600 DEXTER AVENUE FAX (334) 242-4993 SUITE S-105 WWW.SOS.ALABAMA.GOV MONTGOMERY, AL 36130 [email protected]
JOHN H. MERRILL SECRETARY OF STATE
February 8, 2021
The Honorable Chuck Schumer The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate 322 Hart S.O.B. 317 Russell S.O.B. Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House Minority Leader of the House House of Representatives House of Representatives 1236 Longworth H.O.B. 2468 Rayburn H.O.B. Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and House Minority Leader McCarthy: We are writing you today to urge you to pass the “Keep Nine Amendment”, which simply states: “The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices.” In recent months, we have heard interest in and efforts to expand the size of the Supreme Court so that it may lean politically. Manipulating the size of the Supreme Court for political advantage would undermine both respect for the Court and the checks and balances system we rely on the protect our states and Constitutional liberties. Election officials turned to the Supreme Court in several instances during the 2020 Election Cycle, and it is important that they have the ability to turn once again to a fair, unbiased Court in the future, if necessary. Seeing as this legislation has been introduced and supported by bipartisan members of Congress, we are hopeful you, too, will vote in favor of this amendment to permanently preserve the current number of nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices. Thank you for your consideration,
February 8, 2021 Page 2
John H. Merrill John Wobensmith Alabama Secretary of State Maryland Secretary of State
Kevin Meyer Michael Watson Alaska Lieutenant Governor Mississippi Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger Christi Jacobsen Georgia Secretary of State Montana Secretary of State
Lawrence Denney Bob Evnen Idaho Secretary of State Nebraska Secretary of State
Connie Lawson Frank LaRose Indiana Secretary of State Ohio Secretary of State
Michael Adams Mark Hammond Kentucky Secretary of State South Carolina Secretary of State
Kyle Ardoin Mac Warner Louisiana Secretary of State West Virginia Secretary of State