Supreme Court Justices Seek $228.4 Million Security Boost

Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan appeared before a congressional subcommittee this week to request a significant increase in security funding, detailing a surge in threats that has forced them to adopt extraordinary protective measures, including the use of bulletproof vests.

The justices testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The Court is seeking $228.4 million for fiscal year 2027, a roughly 10 percent increase over the previous year's allocation, with much of the new funding dedicated to enhanced security and cybersecurity.

Justice Barrett provided a personal account of the dangers she and her family have faced. She revealed that in 2022, following the leak of a draft opinion that preceded the overturning of Roe v. Wade, her security team issued her a bulletproof vest. She described carrying the vest into her home and having to explain its purpose to her young son. Barrett also recounted a "swatting" incident several weeks prior to the hearing, where a false report of gunshots at her home prompted a large police response, which her teenage son witnessed.