Supreme Court Justices to Testify on Budget
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan are slated to appear before Congress next week to discuss the Supreme Court’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027.
This event will take place before the House Appropriations subcommittee, shortly after the conclusion of the Supreme Court’s significant term. Recently, the court delivered a consequential ruling that was seen as a win for President Donald Trump, striking down key elements of his agenda, including executive orders related to birthright citizenship and the Emancipation Day tariffs. Interestingly, Barrett, who is viewed as part of the conservative majority, cast her vote against Trump’s executive order.
The last time a Supreme Court justice testified in front of Congress was in 2019, when Kagan, a liberal justice, and Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative, discussed the court’s budget request for fiscal year 2020.
The Supreme Court is requesting a budget increase of $20.5 million for the upcoming fiscal year, with about $14.6 million dedicated to enhancing security for judges and an additional $2 million intended for the security of judges’ homes. This extra funding will allow for the hiring of 25 new full-time police officers for the court.
In total, the court seeks a budget of $228 million for fiscal year 2027. This request for more security resources follows Congress’s approval of a $30 million boost to the Supreme Court’s security budget back in January, which is expected to be in place until September 2028.
As of the last update, the U.S. Marshals Service had tracked 166 threats against federal judges since October 1. In the previous year, that number exceeded 560. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole voiced the importance of ensuring the safety of the judges during those discussions.
Security for judges has been a pressing issue, especially after the U.S. Marshals initiated round-the-clock protection for justices at their residences starting in May 2022, following the leak of the draft Dobbs opinion that led to the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion rights. This protective measure became even more critical after an assassination attempt on Judge Brett Kavanaugh occurred outside his home shortly after.
In an alarming incident in May, Barrett found herself the target of a swatting prank. Police responded to a false report of gunfire at her Virginia home but quickly identified it as a hoax after working with Supreme Court security. Moreover, there was a bomb threat linked to Barrett’s sister in South Carolina last year. Thankfully, a reported pipe bomb in her mailbox was also revealed to be fake.
Unfortunately, threats against judges are not a new phenomenon, yet Chief Justice John Roberts highlighted in a report late last year that such threats against federal judges have more than tripled in the last ten years. The U.S. Marshals Service has been diligent, investigating over 1,000 serious threats in the last five years.
