Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan made a rare appearance before a House appropriations panel on Tuesday, advocating for an increased budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The Supreme Court is requesting $228 million, representing a roughly 10% increase over the previous year's budget. A significant portion of this increase, $14.6 million, is designated for expanding personal protection for the justices, which includes adding six more agents for each justice. An additional $2 million is requested for an off-site residential security post to improve emergency response times, and $6 million for an external visitor screening facility. The overall judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, a $29 million increase.
Justice Barrett detailed personal experiences highlighting the urgent need for enhanced security, including a recent "swatting" attempt at her home where her teenage son encountered police responding to a false report. She also recalled wearing a bulletproof vest after a key court decision, stating she "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." Additionally, both justices have been targeted by "pizza doxxing," where anonymous pizza deliveries are sent to their homes in the name of Daniel Anderl, the son of a federal judge murdered by a disgruntled lawyer.
Justice Kagan emphasized the proximity of threats, stating that for some justices, "threats have come very close," and that all members live with the knowledge they may materialize again. The Supreme Court Police anticipate a 38% increase in threats for 2026. For federal judges, there was a 57% rise in "security incidents of significant concern" in fiscal year 2025, with 370 threats reported and 512 investigations conducted by the Marshals Service as of July 1st of the current fiscal year. The increased budget would also cover travel security for justices outside the Washington D.C. area. Congress members, including Rep. Steny Hoyer and Rep. David Joyce, expressed support for providing sufficient funding to ensure the safety of judicial personnel amid a divided country and increasing violent rhetoric.
