Supreme Court expansion was one of the left’s most galvanizing ideas during the 2020 Democratic primary. But the idea is going nowhere with sitting Democratic senators.

“I don’t think the American public is interested in having the Supreme Court expanded,” said Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who represents a particularly valuable swing state, said “the more responsible thing to do is to keep it at nine justices.” And Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) said she opposes “adding seats that politicize the court.”

That trio is facing reelection in 2022, making their opinions particularly important to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). But as Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) formally pushes for high court expansion, resurfacing the popular progressive cause in response to the GOP’s relentless drive to fill court seats during the Trump years, it’s clear that few of Markey’s colleagues agree with him.

While liberal measures on election reform, police bias and congressional ethics remain relatively popular with the 50-member Senate majority, expanding the Supreme Court is close to dead among the chamber’s Democrats.

“This is in the category of things that couldn’t muster 50 votes and probably couldn’t muster 40 votes,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). “We have a historic opportunity to make change here and we should focus on those issues where we can get a majority.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said adding seats is a topic that the media and Republicans like to talk about but one that’s got no traction in the Senate. “Somebody’s introduced a bill,” he said. “We’re focused on Covid and infrastructure.”