Climate Scientist Advocates for Supreme Court Expansion Among Senate Democrats
In an interview shared on Friday, climate scientist Michael Mann emphasized that Senate Democrats should be subject to a litmus test that requires their support for expanding the Supreme Court. He made these remarks during an episode of Stand Up! With Pete, hosted by Pete Dominick. Mann, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, argued that simply regaining control of Congress would not suffice for advancing climate policies.
“When it comes to Senate races, there should be a litmus test,” Mann stated. “It isn’t just good enough to be a Democrat. You’ve got to be a Democrat who would be willing to expand the Supreme Court.”
He mentioned that voters who are passionate about environmental issues have very little choice in the upcoming elections. “There is one party now that basically will do something about climate and one party that’s trying to undo all the progress,” Mann explained. “There’s no way not to be partisan. If you care about the environment, you’ve got to vote for the Democrats now.”
Mann connected his demand for court expansion to a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding federal agency powers, although he misrepresented certain details. He stated, “It was in a conservative Supreme Court decision within the last few years that introduced the so-called Chevron standard,” asserting that it took away the EPA’s authority to create rules based on science.
In actuality, the Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in the case Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, decided 6-3 on June 28, 2024. This doctrine has been in place since 1984. Mann mentioned during the interview that he couldn’t recall whether this ruling occurred before or after the 2024 election.
In June, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) confirmed that Democratic lawmakers were indeed discussing the prospect of expanding the Court from nine to 13 seats. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) supported the need for “dramatic reform” within the Court but was hesitant to specify his stance on adding more justices.
Two Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate, Texas state Rep. James Talarico and Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, have expressed support for ending life tenure for justices but haven’t made endorsements for expansion. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) stated in June that he continues to advocate for term limits instead.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) commented in June that the push for reform indicates that Democrats feel they can’t win through traditional electoral means. “Since they can’t bulldoze their policies through the democratic process, they want to pack the court to ensure they never lose,” Grassley remarked. The number of justices has been fixed at nine since 1869.
In a separate note, Mann faced sanctions in March 2025 related to evidence he presented during a defamation trial against two bloggers. A D.C. Superior Court Judge criticized Mann and his legal team for submitting incorrect grant-loss figures. Initially, a jury awarded Mann $1 million, which was later reduced to $5,000 by the judge, leading Mann to owe over $530,000 to the parties he sued.
“I am confident that neither I nor my lawyers did anything wrong during the trial,” Mann stated on X.
