Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett are scheduled to testify before Congress on Tuesday, a rare appearance aimed at securing increased funding for judicial security. The justices will appear before a House appropriations panel to address a rise in threats against judges nationwide.
The Supreme Court has requested approximately $228 million for the upcoming fiscal year, marking a roughly 10% increase from the previous year. A significant portion of this request, nearly $15 million, is earmarked for expanding personal protection for justices, including assigning six additional agents to each. Another $2 million would establish an off-site residential security post to expedite emergency responses and increase the number of Supreme Court police officers.
The U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for protecting federal judges, reported 564 threats in the government fiscal year ending September, an increase from the prior year. These figures encompass threats to hundreds of federal judges across the country, and the nine-member Supreme Court has also experienced security concerns.
Recent incidents have highlighted the risks. In May, Justice Amy Coney Barrett's home was the target of a swatting incident, a false 911 call intended to provoke a police response. Her sister was also the subject of a bomb threat last year. In 2022, a man carrying weapons and zip ties was arrested near the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh shortly after the leak of a draft opinion that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade.
Chief Justice John Roberts has previously spoken out against the threats, stating in March that while criticism of judicial opinions is expected, personally directed hostility is "dangerous, and it's got to stop." This appearance marks the first time Supreme Court justices have testified before Congress since 2019.