Today in Supreme Court History: July 22, 1937

7/22/1937: The Senate voted down President Roosevelt's Court-Packing plan, 70-20.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Comments

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

"The Senate voted down President Roosevelt's Court-Packing plan, 70-20."

Has random capitalization become an established conservative affectation, even among educated Republicans ostensibly seeking to operate in the American mainstream?

[Dan Schiavetta]

i DoN't LiKe tHe DiReCtiOn jOsH iS gOinG hErE

[Mark Regan]

Sen. Hiram Johnson extracted the concession that "the Supreme Court is out of the way," then looked up at the galleries, threw his arms in the air, and exclaimed, "Glory be to God!"

[Dan Schiavetta]

The rationale for court-packing had by then evaporated, with Roberts having switched sides. Also Van Devanter had retired, replaced by Hugo Black.

Both the court-packing plan and the Roberts switch were spurred by the Democratic landslide in 1936. The Senate was 76-16 Democratic, the House 333-89. (!) FDR ended up getting what he wanted. "Elections have consequences."