feb 5, 1937 - FDR Court Packing Scandal

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In the preceding two years the supreme court found pieces of Roosevelt's New Deal to give unconstitutional power to the executive branch and the federal government. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced a plan to add 15 judges to the supreme court on February 5th, 1937 to increase efficiency. This created controversy that Roosevelt was attempting to “pack” the court with more judges in order to neutralize the judges that were in opposition to his New Deal. In February of 1937 Roosevelt proposed to give fully paid retirement to all members in the court above ages of 70; if there was refusal to retire, an “assistant” with full voting rights was to be appointed causing a liberal majority. When the bill came to vote there was a majority with the opinion that expansion of federal regulation and control was warranted with the growth of the national economy. In July the Senate struck it down by a vote of 70 to 22. Soon after, Roosevelt had the opportunity to nominate his first Supreme Court justice, and by 1942 all but two of the justices were his appointees.

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