Supreme Court warns Congress threats are rising and the court needs more security
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Add Axios on Google Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testify on July 14, 2026. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
Justice Elena Kagan warned Congress on Tuesday that police expect threats against Supreme Court justices to rise nearly 40% this year.
Why it matters: As courts play a bigger role in deciding the nation's most contentious policy fights, anger from the losing side is turning into threats that risk undermining the court's independence.
By the numbers: The Supreme Court Police Department expects a "very substantial" 38% increase in threats this year, following a 25% increase last year, Kagan told the House Appropriations Committee.
What they're saying: "Those statistics sound abstract, but being on the receiving end of them is not," Justice Amy Coney Barrett , who also attended the hearing, said.
Zoom out: The court requested $18.9 million to expand personal protection, build an off-site security command post and hire cybersecurity experts. The largest line item, $14.6 million, would add six protection agents per justice plus 25 security officers at the court and support staff.
What we're watching: Kagan and Barrett will again testify this afternoon at 2pm ET, this time before the Senate Appropriations Committee's Financial Services and General Government subcommittee.
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