Supreme Court justices make rare Capitol Hill appearance to push $230M security budget

What This is

• Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified before House appropriators to support the Supreme Court’s fiscal 2027 budget request, a rare appearance by sitting justices.
• The court is seeking about a 10% budget increase, with reported totals around $225 million to $228 million for the Supreme Court’s overall budget request.
• A central goal of the request is to expand security, including more personal protection agents for each justice and more Supreme Court Police officers.
• Barrett told lawmakers the threat level for justices and other federal judges is “really high,” and both justices described threats as rising.
• Lawmakers largely signaled support for improving security, but some also used the hearing to press the justices on ethics and transparency questions.

Why This Matters

• When judges face threats, it can chill decision-making and weaken the courts’ independence.
• Congress’s choice of funding level signals how it weighs safety against tight federal budgets.
• Stronger screening and more security can make it harder for the public to access the court in person.
• Ethics questions raised during budget hearings can affect public trust in the court’s legitimacy.