Two Supreme Court justices will testify on Capitol Hill this week for the first time since 2019, as the judiciary seeks tens of millions of dollars in additional security funding amid a surge in threats against federal judges.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan will appear before the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees on Tuesday, July 14. The hearings come just two weeks after the court wrapped a divisive term that invalidated President Donald Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship and impose global tariffs.
The Supreme Court is requesting a budget of $225.1 million for fiscal 2027, a roughly 10% increase over current enacted funding, with a significant portion dedicated to security. The judiciary overall is seeking $9.7 billion in discretionary funding, a 4.5% increase over last year.
Security incidents involving judges that the Marshals Service classified as of “significant concern” jumped 57% in 2025.
Barrett’s Personal Experience with Threats
Justice Barrett, who is expected to speak in unusually personal terms about the threats the judiciary faces, has been at the center of several security incidents. In May, a swatting attempt was made at her home, though the incident was thwarted. The home of her sister in South Carolina was also the target of a bomb threat a year earlier.
Barrett has also spoken openly about being sent home from the Supreme Court with a bulletproof vest, though the court has never explained why she was issued protective gear.
The Security Budget Request
The judiciary has requested nearly $921 million for security, a $29 million increase over last year, for frontline security forces at federal courthouses. The request includes an increase of nearly $15 million to make members of the Supreme Court Police available to protect the justices and their families, including at their homes.
The US Marshals Service took on the responsibility of protecting the justices’ homes in 2022 following the unprecedented leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. That arrangement was never intended to be permanent. The Supreme Court is now building up its own police force.
The Broader Threat Environment
The danger to the justices was driven home in 2022 when a person attempted to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh following the leak of the Dobbs decision. The would-be assassin was sentenced to just over 8 years in prison.
Justice Clarence Thomas has openly groused about the heightened security, telling an audience in Florida: “The security concerns now are much different from the way they were when I first became a circuit justice. That’s really one of the big changes since I’ve been on the court — that it’s become very, very dicey”.
The Bottom Line
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan will testify before Congress on Tuesday for the first time since 2019, as the judiciary requests tens of millions of dollars in additional security funding. The hearings come amid a 57% surge in serious security incidents involving judges and a series of high-profile threats against justices. Barrett, who has personally faced swatting and bomb threats, is expected to speak about the dangers facing the court.
