David Plourde MT Testimony: Protect the Supreme Court

Attachment: 4655/David_Plourde_MT_Testimony_-_Protect_the_Supreme_Court.docx

Protect the Supreme Court

Mr. Chairman and Committee Members

My name is David Plourde, COS volunteer from HD39.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I’m here to highlight the danger of not holding a Convention of States to propose an amendment setting the number of Supreme Court justices at nine. Without action, a future administration could undermine the Court’s independence by packing it with justices aligned with their political agenda, threatening our rights and freedoms.

The Constitution doesn’t specify the number of justices. While nine has been the standard since 1869, it’s only tradition, not law. This means any administration with control of Congress and the presidency could expand the Court to secure rulings in their favor. Court-packing isn’t a hypothetical—it’s been openly discussed in recent years.

Here’s why this matters: in 2008, the Supreme Court narrowly affirmed the individual right to bear arms in District of Columbia v. Heller. That decision, protecting the Second Amendment from being interpreted as applying only to state militias, passed by just one vote—a 5-4 majority. Now imagine a future where a packed Court is no longer bound by constitutional principles but by political loyalty. A politically engineered majority could overturn precedents like Heller and gut the Second Amendment.

This threat extends beyond gun rights. Any constitutional liberty—free speech, religious freedom, due process—could be eroded by a Court beholden to the political whims of the majority party. A Convention of States is the only realistic way to address this issue. Congress will never voluntarily limit its own power or restrict its ability to manipulate the judiciary. It’s up to the states, through Article V, to step in and preserve the balance of power.

We must act now. A Convention of States offers a lawful, peaceful way to protect our republic and ensure the Supreme Court remains a guardian of our Constitution.

Thank you.

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Created:	2025-03-11 18:09 GMT
Updated:	2025-03-11 18:09 GMT
Published:	2025-03-11 18:09 GMT
Converted:	2025-11-11 12:35 GMT
Change Author:	Daniella Landivar
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