Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan will appear before Congress to request increased security funding due to rising threats against federal judges and their families. The court seeks $228 million for the upcoming budget year beginning October 1, representing a $20 million increase from previous funding. This is the first Supreme Court appearance before Congress since 2019, with Barrett expected to face questions about recent rulings after a contentious term.

The judiciary requests $920.9 million for security in fiscal year 2027, marking a 3.2 percent rise from fiscal year 2026. This funding aims to bolster security forces at federal courthouses. The Supreme Court’s budget request includes a $14.6 million increase for the Supreme Court Police to enhance protection for justices and their families both at home and while traveling outside Washington.

“The request allows funding of six additional agents per justice and an administrative role, as well as 25 officers for enhanced Supreme Court Building security and four additional administration positions for departmental growth.”

Additional funding includes $6.5 million for a new visitor screening facility, $2.3 million for engineers and developers to counter cyberthreats, and $2 million for an additional command post to coordinate residential security assignments. This command post is designed to improve hiring and retention rates of Supreme Court officers, reduce emergency response time, and enhance security program efficiency.

Overall, the judiciary is requesting $9.7 billion, a 4.5 percent increase over fiscal year 2026’s appropriation of $9.2 billion. Congress has until September 30 to pass the new spending bill for fiscal year 2027.

Reasons for the Security Funding Request

The Supreme Court seeks increased protection amid escalating threats against justices and federal judges. Threats have surged since protests began outside justices’ homes following Roe v. Wade’s reversal in 2022. After an assassination attempt on Brett Kavanaugh, justices received continuous security at their residences.

Threats against justices persist, including a “swatting” attempt at Barrett’s Virginia home in May and a false bomb threat against her sister in Charleston, South Carolina. The U.S. Marshals Service, responsible for federal judiciary protection, reported 564 threats in the fiscal year ending in September, compared to 509 the previous year.

For further inquiries on this story, contact editors Ben Kelly and Cristina Diciu at Newsweek.