Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett will testify before a congressional appropriations subcommittee on July 12, 2026 [1].
The rare appearance underscores the growing pressure on the judiciary to enhance safety measures for its members amid a climate of increasing threats. Because the Supreme Court typically maintains a distance from legislative proceedings, the presence of two justices signals the urgency of the funding request.
The justices are seeking a $20.5 million [2] increase for the Court’s 2027 [3] budget. According to the request, the majority of these additional funds are earmarked for enhanced security measures to protect the justices and court personnel [4].
This marks the first time since 2019 [5] that members of the Supreme Court have testified before Congress. The appearance is a significant departure from the Court's usual practice of avoiding direct legislative testimony to preserve judicial independence.
There are conflicting reports regarding the specific venue of the testimony. Some sources identify the hearing as part of a Senate appropriations subcommittee [6], while others describe it as a House subcommittee [1]. Regardless of the chamber, the focus remains on the financial requirements for the 2027 fiscal year [3].
The request for $20.5 million [2] comes as the Court navigates a period of heightened public scrutiny. The justices will outline the specific security gaps that the funding aims to address during their appearance on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. [6].
“The justices are seeking a $20.5 million increase for the Court’s 2027 budget.”
The decision to send two justices to Capitol Hill reflects a critical intersection of judicial independence and physical security. By requesting a specific $20.5 million increase, the Court is acknowledging that current security budgets are insufficient to meet modern threats, necessitating a rare and potentially politically charged engagement with the legislative branch to secure necessary resources.
