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Threats Drive Security Push
Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan made a rare Capitol Hill appearance on Tuesday to defend the Court’s fiscal year 2027 budget request before the House Appropriations Committee, arguing that increased security funding is needed amid mounting threats against the justices.
Barrett told lawmakers that “The threat level is really high,” and she described the burden on her family after a “swatting” incident at her home.
Kagan warned that threats against the Court increased roughly 25 percent last year and are expected to climb another 38 percent this year, saying, “For some of us, those threats have come very close.”
The Court is requesting roughly a 10 percent increase in its budget, with much of the additional funding earmarked for expanded security personnel and enhanced protection for the justices at their homes and while traveling.
The hearing also tied the current security push to the aftermath of the leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson that overturned Roe v. Wade, with Barrett recounting that she returned home wearing a bulletproof vest and had to explain to her young son why such precautions were necessary.
Testimony and Political Tension
Barrett described the chaos after a false report of gunshots at her residence, saying, “I didn't expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one.”
Kagan echoed that warning about proximity to danger, telling lawmakers, “For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialise.”
CBS News reported that Kagan urged Congress to provide additional funding, while also warning that the threats have come close for some members of the high court.
The testimony also placed hostile political rhetoric in the spotlight, with the BBC describing how Kagan and Barrett raised concerns about threats alongside “AI-fuelled cyber-attacks” and “the threat of drones.”
In the background of the hearing, the sources linked the security debate to earlier public statements, including Chief Justice John Roberts’ warning that “Threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate; they are dangerous,” as quoted in AMAC | Other.
Budget Stakes and What’s Next
The Court’s request is tied to specific security staffing and spending, with the BBC reporting that the court’s request of $228m (£170.3m) is a 53% increase from last year and that most of it is sought for strengthened security.
“Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan made the unusual trip to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the first time a justice has appeared before a House panel since 2019”
CBS News said part of the funding request includes an additional $14.6 million to expand security for the justices provided by the Supreme Court Police, which would allow for an additional six agents per member of the court, and it also described travel funding outside the Washington, D.C., region.
Kagan told lawmakers that the Supreme Court Police is anticipating a 38% increase in threats for 2026, while the Marshals Service reported a 57% rise in “security incidents of significant concern” in fiscal year 2025, according to CBS News.
The sources also described how the threat environment has already affected federal judges beyond the Supreme Court, with the BBC citing that as of July 1, 370 threats have been made to federal judges this fiscal year, and with CBS News adding that the Marshals have conducted 512 investigations.
In a broader consequence tied to judicial independence, AMAC | Other quoted Roberts saying the Court would continue “without fear or favor,” while the hearing framed the budget request as the cost of protecting judicial independence as threats and intimidation escalate.
