Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Justices Testify Before Congress on a $228 Million Security Request
7/16/2026, 6:39:03 AM
The Core Event
On July 14, 2026, Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett appeared before the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees to defend the Supreme Court’s fiscal-year 2027 budget request. The request totals $228 million, roughly a 10 % increase over the prior year, with about $14.6 million earmarked for expanding the Supreme Court Police’s protection of the justices, their families, and their residences.
Background & Context
Security for the nine justices was minimal when Kagan joined the Court in 2010, limited to public-event escorts. A “big ramp-up” began in 2016 after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death left the nearest U.S. marshals two hours away. The leak of the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (June 2022) intensified threats, prompting the Court to assume round-the-clock residential protection in 2022.
Data & Statistics
- The Supreme Court Police project a 38 % rise in threats this year, following a 25 % increase in 2025 (Kagan).
- The U.S. Marshals Service reported 370 threats to federal judges as of July 1, 2026, with 512 protective investigations (Reuters).
- CBS News cited 564 threats in the fiscal year ending September 2025, including 57 % more “security incidents of significant concern” (CBS).
- Current personal security details consist of four to eight officers per justice; the request would add six officers to each detail and create 25 additional building officers.
Official Statements & Responses
Justice Kagan emphasized that the budget’s growth is “almost entirely for security expenses,” noting that the Court seeks “more like 12” officers per justice to reduce overtime and burnout. Barrett described the personal impact of threats, recounting a swatting incident in May 2026 and the delivery of a bullet-proof vest to her home after the Dobbs leak. Both justices stressed that intimidation, not legitimate criticism, endangers judicial independence.
Lawmakers broadly supported the request. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) asserted that judges must work “without fearing for their safety or that of their families.” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) warned that “with a deeply divided country and increasingly violent rhetoric being directed at judges, Congress must provide sufficient funding to ensure the safety of all judicial personnel.”
Criticism & Opposition
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) blamed “inflamatory comments about the court by members of Congress” for heightening security risks, calling it “increasingly dangerous to be a Supreme Court justice these days.” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) argued that the Court’s voluntary ethics code lacks enforcement, stating, “Every other body has that.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the total number of threats: Reuters cites 370 threats this year, while CBS reports 564 threats in the prior fiscal year. Both figures derive from U.S. Marshals Service data but cover different reporting periods, leaving the precise current threat count unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize,” — Elena Kagan
- “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.” — Amy Coney Barrett
- “With a deeply divided country and increasingly violent rhetoric being directed at judges, Congress must provide sufficient funding to ensure the safety of all judicial personnel.” — Steny Hoyer, Rep.
- “It is increasingly dangerous to be a Supreme Court justice these days,” — Susan Collins, Sen.
- “Every other body has that,” — Rosa DeLauro, Rep.
What’s Next
The appropriations committees will vote on the FY 2027 budget later this month. If approved, the additional funds will finance the expanded security detail, an off-site residential security office, and new cybersecurity positions for the Court.
