WASHINGTON - Democrats in the US House of Representatives defeated a constitutional amendment on Sept 2 to permanently cap the Supreme Court at nine justices, voting against a Republican proposal designed to make the court’s conservative majority a campaign issue ahead of Nov 3 elections.

House Republicans staged the vote to highlight the potential for Democrats, angered by rulings on issues such as abortion and voting rights, to expand the court and weaken its conservative majority if they regain control of Congress in November’s midterms.

The measure failed 212-206, far short of the necessary two-thirds majority to pass in the House.

Republicans control 218 seats in the House, compared with 214 held by Democrats.

Even had the measure passed, it faced long odds in the US Senate and would have needed to then be ratified by 38 of the 50 US states.

Republicans and Democrats, when holding majority control of the House, have historically staged votes on Bills they know will fail but are known as “messaging Bills” that can be used to shore up support with voters during election campaigns and force political opponents into taking stands on thorny issues.

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to schedule the vote with few legislative days left before the Nov 3 elections underscored Republican concerns that Trump’s low approval ratings could cost the party its House or Senate majority.

“Defending the integrity of the Supreme Court shouldn’t be a controversial vote,” Johnson said in a statement afterwards, referring to Democrats.

House Republicans supporting Sept 2’s proposed amendment argued it was necessary to put an end to Democratic proposals to alter the court’s size afte...