Supreme Court justices press Congress for added security funding
Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan told House lawmakers threats against justices are affecting their families as the court seeks a larger security budget.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan asked House lawmakers Tuesday to approve more money for court security as threats against judges rise. Barrett said the danger has reached into the private lives of justices and their families, including an episode in which she wore a bulletproof vest home.
The appearance before a House appropriations panel was unusual for sitting justices and came as the court seeks $228 million for the next fiscal year. The request is about 10% higher than the prior year, with much of the increase tied to personal protection and emergency response needs.
Barrett told lawmakers that several years ago she had to explain the vest to her 12-year-old son. “I didn’t expect that performing this service would put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was, why I had to wear one,” she said.
Security request centers on personal protection
The court’s budget request includes $14.6 million to expand protection for the justices, according to the figures presented to lawmakers. That money would add six agents for each member of the court.
The court also seeks $2 million for an off-site residential security post meant to speed emergency responses, along with funding to increase the number of Supreme Court police officers. About $18 million of the overall budget request is for maintaining the court building and grounds.
The U.S. Marshals Service, which protects federal judges, reported 564 threats in the government fiscal year that ended in September. That figure covered threats against the hundreds of federal judges nationwide, though recent incidents show the Supreme Court has also been a target.
Barrett’s home was the target of a fake emergency call in May, a tactic known as swatting that is designed to draw a police response. Her security detail worked with local police to address the call, which was determined to be false.
Police in Charleston, South Carolina, also said Barrett’s sister received a bomb threat last year. No bomb was found.
Threats rose after Roe draft leak, Kagan says
Kagan told lawmakers that threats against the Supreme Court increased after the 2022 leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and have continued to grow. Soon after that leak, a would-be assassin was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home with weapons and zip ties.
The hearing came two weeks after the court finished issuing a series of major rulings. Those decisions included one that increased President Donald Trump’s power over federal regulatory agencies and another that rejected his broad tariffs, drawing sharp personal criticism.
The session marked the first testimony by Supreme Court justices before Congress since 2019. Barrett and Kagan also faced broader questions about the court’s work.
Chief Justice John Roberts has warned against threats aimed at judges. In a March speech, Roberts said criticism of court rulings is acceptable, while personally directed hostility is dangerous and must stop.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.