U.S. Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress Tuesday to request additional funding for court security [4].
The request follows a surge in targeted harassment and violence, raising concerns that the current security infrastructure cannot protect the justices or their families from increasingly specific threats.
Testifying before the House and Senate appropriations committees on Capitol Hill, the justices detailed a volatile security environment [3]. Justice Kagan said, "We are seeing a substantial 38% annual increase in threats this year" [1]. This spike in activity has led the court to seek a budget increase of roughly 10% [1].
The total security budget request is approximately $230 million [3]. The justices said that the current resources are insufficient to handle the volume and nature of the threats reported by the court's police department [1].
Justice Barrett emphasized the personal toll of the security climate during her testimony. She said, "The sharp increase in threats targeting me and my family is increasingly encroaching on our personal lives" [4].
The push for funding comes as the court's police department reports that threats have come "very close" to the justices [2]. The requested funds would be used to bolster protection measures for the justices, and their immediate relatives, a necessity the court said is required to maintain the independence and safety of the judiciary.
“"We are seeing a substantial 38% annual increase in threats this year."”
This request signals a growing tension between the judiciary and the public, where legal disagreements are manifesting as physical security risks. By testifying directly before appropriations committees, the justices are highlighting that the threat level has evolved beyond routine policing needs, potentially requiring a permanent shift in how the U.S. government funds the protection of its highest court.
