Supreme Court Justices Request $228M Budget for 2027 Security Boost

Security Concerns and the 2027 Budget Request

The Supreme Court is seeking a total of $228.4 million for the 2027 fiscal year, representing an approximate 10% increase over the $207.8 million allocated for 2026. According to reporting by CNBC, the primary driver for this budgetary growth is the need for enhanced security measures to protect the justices and the court’s infrastructure.

Of the $20.6 million overall increase requested, $14.6 million is earmarked for personal protection, including the addition of six agents for each justice, while another $2 million is designated for residential security, as detailed by Scotusblog. The court aims to shift the responsibility for residential protection from the U.S. Marshals Service to the Supreme Court Police, a transition that would include the creation of an off-site residential security office.

Justices Detail Personal Experiences with Threats

During the hearing, Justice Barrett provided personal testimony regarding the intensity of threats directed at the court. She recounted an experience following the 2022 leak of a draft opinion that reversed the Supreme Court’s decision that had said there was a constitutional right to abortion. Barrett stated that her security detail provided her with a bulletproof vest to wear at home, an experience she described as difficult to explain to her then 12-year-old son.

For more on this story, see Supreme Court Appoints Justice L Nageswara Rao to Mediate Kalyani Family Dispute.

“I didn’t expect that performing this service would put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was, why I had to wear one.”

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, via The Sentinel & Enterprise

Barrett also noted that she was the target of a swatting incident approximately six weeks prior to the July 14 hearing, where a caller falsely reported a shooting at her residence to provoke a police response. Justice Kagan, who testified alongside Barrett, addressed questions regarding the occasional use of perimeter fencing around the Supreme Court building. Kagan emphasized that while the court prefers to remain an open and transparent institution, occasionally, we have found it necessary given the threat level to put up some barriers.

A Rare Congressional Appearance

The appearance of Justices Kagan and Barrett marks the first time Supreme Court justices have testified before Congress since 2019. The session before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government is part of a broader, rare effort by the high court to communicate budget needs directly to lawmakers. Abcnews, the hearing follows a highly consequential term where the court issued major rulings regarding presidential authority and regulatory power.

This follows our earlier report, Supreme Court Denies Fox Reporter’s Bid to Halt $800 Daily Contempt Fines.

Broader Context of Judicial Security

The request for increased security funding arrives against a backdrop of rising concerns regarding the safety of federal judges nationwide. Data from the U.S. Marshals Service indicates that investigations into threats against federal judges reached 512 since the beginning of 2026, compared to 807 for the entirety of 2025. Chief Justice John Roberts has previously addressed the climate of hostility, stating in a March speech that while criticism of judicial opinions is understandable, personally directed hostility is dangerous.

As the legislative process continues, the House Appropriations Committee has already advanced a bill that would fund the court at $207 million. Lawmakers are expected to balance these security requirements against questions regarding court operations, ethics, and transparency in the coming weeks.

Find more reporting in our News section.