Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified before Congress on Tuesday to request a significant increase in security funding.
The request follows a surge in threats against members of the judiciary, which the justices said now endangers their personal safety and the well-being of their families.
Appearing before the House and Senate appropriations committees on Capitol Hill, the justices detailed a volatile security environment. Justice Kagan said that threats have come very close to the justices [2]. To address these risks, the court is asking Congress for a budget increase of roughly $230 million [3].
According to testimony, threats against judges have risen by 38% compared with the prior year [4]. This increase has forced the court to seek additional resources to protect its members from targeted violence.
Justice Barrett described the impact of the current climate on the private lives of the court's members. "A sharp increase in threats targeting me and other justices is increasingly encroaching on our personal and family lives," Barrett said [1].
The justices emphasized that the need for more security is not limited to the courthouse itself, but extends to the residences and daily movements of the judges. The request for $230 million [3] is intended to scale protection measures to meet the current threat level.
The testimony comes as the judiciary faces heightened public scrutiny. The justices said that the scale of the threats requires a coordinated response from Congress to ensure the independence and safety of the court's operations.
““Threats have come very close to the justices.””
The request for a $230 million security boost reflects a growing tension between the judiciary and the public. A 38% increase in threats suggests that judicial decisions are increasingly triggering targeted hostility, potentially necessitating a permanent shift in how high-level judges interact with the public and manage their personal security.
