During a debate Saturday with Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) became the first Senate Democrat candidate to back packing the Supreme Court with additional justices.
Bullock, who hopes to oust Daines in the November elections, said that should Senate Republicans confirm Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, he would back Democrat measures to pack the nationâs highest court with additional justices.
âWe need to figure out the ways to actually get the politics out of the court. Thatâs anything from a judicial standards commission, or weâll look at any other thing that might be suggested, including adding justices,â he said.
Other Senate Democrat candidates such as Cal Cunningham in North Carolina and Theresa Greenfield in Iowa have ignored questions about whether they would back packing the Supreme Court.
Daines said in response, âIf you want to politicize the courts, for heavenâs sake, you pack âem.â
Daines said this marks how radical Bullock is on the issue of the Supreme Court, noting former Vice President Joe Biden has dodged questions about whether he would pack the Supreme Court if he was elected. Democrat vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) has also dodged questions about packing the court.
âEven Joe Biden said he wouldnât answer that question right now.â
âThat should be a chilling, profound moment, that has not happened for generations, itâs never been packed. As Montanans, thatâs a threat to our Second Amendment,â he said.
? WOW — Democrat Steve Bullocks comes out in FAVOR of the far-lefts dangerous court-packing plan — and Senator Daines OBLITERATES him for it#MTsen #MTpol pic.twitter.com/YSHmUF4tl7
— Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) October 11, 2020
In contrast, Bullock said confirming Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court would jeopardize the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare.
Daines said he supports a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the ACA. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have promised to protect patients with preexisting conditions should the Supreme Court strike down former President Barack Obamaâs landmark legislation.
Bullock accused Daines of not being a leader when Republicans fought measures to increase mail-in voting in the state.
âMontanans want a leader, not a lap dog,â Bullock said.
Daines, in contrast, said that Bullock would follow lock-in-step with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Daines said that Bullockâs election could lead to âliberal tyranny.â
The debate follows as Daines and Bullock have fought in a heated battle for the Montana Senate seat.
An Emerson College poll released last week found Daines leads Bullock by nine points or 52 to 43 percent. Five percent of voters remain undecided. Daines has expanded his lead since the last Emerson poll was released in August.
Spencer Kimball, the director of Emerson College polling, said, âMontana looks about the same as it did at this time in the 2016 race, we will be looking to see if there is a late break in the state which last time went for Trump giving him a 20 point win.â