Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress on Tuesday to request additional funding for judicial security [1].
The appearance marks a rare intersection between the judicial and legislative branches, signaling an urgent need to protect the high court's members from escalating threats.
The justices appeared before House and Senate appropriators on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 2026 [2]. They requested a budget of $230 million [3] to bolster security measures for the justices and their families.
This testimony represents the first time sitting justices have appeared before Congress since 2019 [4]. The request comes amid a backdrop of rising threats targeting the judiciary, a trend that has prompted the court to seek more robust federal protections.
While the justices typically maintain a distance from legislative proceedings to preserve judicial independence, the immediate safety of the court's members necessitated this direct appeal for funding. The requested $230 million [3] is intended to address gaps in current security protocols and provide comprehensive coverage for the justices' homes, and public appearances.
Congressional appropriators are now tasked with reviewing the request as part of the broader federal budget process. The justices said that the current security environment has changed significantly since the last such appearance by the court in 2019 [4].
“Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress on Tuesday to request additional funding for judicial security.”
The decision by two sitting justices to testify before Congress highlights a critical breakdown in the perceived safety of the U.S. judiciary. By requesting a specific, substantial sum of $230 million, the Court is moving beyond general concerns and treating security as a budgetary priority. This action suggests that the threat level has reached a threshold where the traditional separation of powers is secondary to the physical safety of the justices.
