U.S. Supreme Court flags rising security risks in budget hearing
Federal judges are facing elevated security concerns as the U.S. Supreme Court seeks funding through its latest budget request. Justice Amy Coney Barrett tells a House subcommittee that threats against her and other members of the judiciary are severe, underscoring pressure for higher security spending.
Highlights
- Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan requested increased security spending in a House subcommittee budget hearing amid escalating threats.
- Barrett revealed receiving a bulletproof vest from her security team and recently experiencing a swatting incident following a leak about the reversal of the abortion rights decision.
- This marks the first congressional testimony by sitting Supreme Court justices since 2019, with security concerns taking central focus in the court's current funding request.
Budget hearing highlights judicial security needs
As reported by CNBC, Barrett tells lawmakers that the threat environment for federal judges is "really high" while appearing before a House subcommittee with Justice Elena Kagan to discuss the high court's budget request. The request includes increased spending for security as concerns over risks to justices and other judges remain in focus.Barrett says the statistics on threats may sound abstract, but feel different when experienced personally. She says her security team gave her a bulletproof vest after a leak to a news outlet about the opinion that reversed the Supreme Court decision recognizing a constitutional right to abortion.
She also tells the panel that she was recently targeted in a swatting attack, in which a caller falsely reported a shooting and raised voices at her home. The incident adds to the court's case for stronger protective measures tied to its funding plans.
Congressional testimony returns after years
Barrett and Kagan are the first Supreme Court justices to testify before Congress since 2019, marking a rare public appearance by sitting members of the court on budget matters. Their testimony revives direct engagement with lawmakers on the court's operational needs, including security costs.In 2019, Kagan and Justice Samuel Alito testified before the same subcommittee about the Supreme Court's budget request. The latest hearing shows how security concerns have become a more prominent part of the court's financial and administrative case to Congress.
In our earlier coverage of Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s semiannual monetary policy testimony to Congress, we highlighted his message that the central bank remains firmly committed to returning inflation to its 2% target. We also noted that June CPI unexpectedly fell, underscoring how policymakers are balancing signs of cooling prices with a continued focus on controlling inflation.
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