Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett will make a rare trip to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to press Congress for millions of dollars in added security as threats against judges continue to climb.
The two justices are scheduled to testify before a House appropriations panel, marking the first congressional appearance by members of the court since 2019. Their testimony comes weeks after the close of a consequential term that expanded President Donald Trump’s authority over federal agencies but rejected his sweeping tariffs.
Although Kagan and Barrett are expected to keep the hearing focused on funding, lawmakers could use the unusual appearance to press them on the court’s decisions and conduct.
Security is at the center of the court’s $228 million budget request for the coming fiscal year, an increase of roughly 10%. About $15 million would expand personal protection for the nine justices, including six additional agents assigned to each. Another $2 million would create an off-site residential security post to speed emergency responses and add Supreme Court police officers.
The request follows a string of alarming incidents targeting judges and their families.
In May, police rushed to Barrett’s home after someone made a false emergency report, a tactic known as “swatting.” Her security detail worked with local officers to quickly determine there was no threat.
Barrett’s sister was also targeted by a bomb threat in Charleston, South Carolina, last year, though authorities found no explosive device.
In 2022, a man was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home with weapons and zip ties after a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked. He later pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice.
The U.S. Marshals Service, which protects federal judges, recorded 564 threats during the fiscal year that ended in September, up from the previous year. The figure covers threats against hundreds of judges nationwide, not only members of the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John Roberts has repeatedly warned that political fury over court rulings is spilling into dangerous personal attacks.
“Criticism of judicial decisions is part of a healthy democracy,” Roberts said in a March speech. But hostility aimed directly at judges, he added, is “dangerous, and it’s got to stop.”
Tuesday’s hearing will place two ideological opposites side by side: Kagan, a member of the court’s liberal wing, and Barrett, one of its six conservatives. But on Capitol Hill, they will deliver a united message — America’s judges are increasingly in the crosshairs, and protecting them will come at a higher price.
