Overview
- The justices, who are scheduled to testify Tuesday, will defend a Court request that would raise its discretionary funding by about $20.6 million with roughly $14.6 million earmarked specifically for expanded security.
- Official U.S. Marshals and judiciary data show threats to judges surged after the 2022 Dobbs leak, with more than 600 threats in fiscal 2023 and a 57% rise in significant incidents in fiscal 2025.
- The budget request seeks money for expanded Supreme Court Police protection at justices’ homes and while traveling, a regional command post, visitor‑screening and roughly $2.3 million for cyber defenses.
- Justice Amy Coney Barrett has been the subject of recent personal security incidents, including a reported May swatting call to her home and an earlier bomb hoax at a family member’s house, which supporters say underscores the need for more protection.
- The hearings revive a rare form of oversight not seen since 2019 and will include sharp questions about recent high‑profile rulings, leaks and ethics that could pressure Congress to demand more detailed accounting of Court security spending.