Kamala Harris calls to expand Supreme Court, add states if Dems take Congress
Kamala Harris has called for expanding the US Supreme Court and changing the Electoral College, and said Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, should be considered for statehood if their residents want it. She argued that these structural changes, alongside affordable childcare, should be pursued if Democrats regain control of Congress; the proposals matter because they would reshape key parts of US government.
Speaking on Keke Palmer’s podcast, Harris also urged voters to back Democrats in the midterms, citing Medicaid cuts and research funding as issues Congress could address. She lost both the popular vote and Electoral College to Donald Trump in 2024 and has not decided whether to run for president in 2028. A legal executive quoted in the article called the proposals a dangerous precedent and noted that ending the Electoral College would require a constitutional amendment.
- Harris called for expanding the Supreme Court and changing the Electoral College.
- She backed possible statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.
- She remains undecided on a 2028 presidential run.
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The US Supreme Court is the country’s highest court, and its justices serve for life unless they retire or are removed. Changing the number of justices could affect how the court rules on major legal disputes. The Electoral College is the system that formally chooses the president: each state gets a set number of votes, so the national popular vote does not always decide the result.
Puerto Rico and Washington, DC, are not states and do not have the same representation in Congress as states. Statehood would give each two senators and voting representation in the House, while also changing its role in presidential elections. These questions matter because they could alter how political power is distributed across the country.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that expanding the Supreme Court could restore public confidence after contentious appointments and make its membership better reflect the country, while statehood would give Puerto Rico and Washington, DC residents full representation if they choose it. They also see changing the Electoral College as a way to make each vote count more equally nationwide, and regard these reforms as legitimate responses to structural imbalances.
The case against
Opponents argue that changing the Court’s size for political advantage could weaken its independence and invite future governments to keep reshaping it to secure preferred rulings. They contend that statehood and Electoral College reform would alter the balance of federal power and should require broad agreement, with ending the Electoral College also requiring a constitutional amendment.