Barrett recounted a harrowing experience when she had to answer a question to her young son about a bulletproof vest she was given.
Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett made a rather rare appearance in Congress to urge lawmakers to provide additional funding for protection measures as they face increasing threats with Kagan relaying that for some justices the "threats have come very close".
The two justices appeared before a House committee to answer questions and testify about the high court's updated budget request for the next fiscal year which will begin Oct 1. The last time justices testified in Congress was in 2019.
The Supreme Court is requesting more than $228 million in funding from Congress, marking an increase of over $20 million from the previous budget. Included in the request is an additional $14.6 million to expand security protections for the justices through the Supreme Court Police. According to budget documents, the funding would allow for six additional security agents for each justice and cover travel-related security costs when justices are outside the Washington, DC, area, CBS reports.
Kagan stressed to the lawmakers that the requests for budget increase come as the justices face increased security threats. "For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize," she said. "But, as the chief justice has said, all members of the court continue to do their jobs as they believe legally right, adjudicating cases without fear or favor."
The Supreme Court Police is projecting a 38 percent increase in threats in 2026, according to Justice Elena Kagan. Federal judges have also faced a rise in security concerns, with the U.S. Marshals Service reporting a 57 percent increase in “security incidents of significant concern” during fiscal year 2025. Agency data shows 370 threats against judges have been reported as of July 1, while the Marshals Service has conducted 512 related investigations. In the previous fiscal year, officials recorded 564 total threats against judges, CBS finds.
Barrett for her part recounted a harrowing experience when she had to answer a question to her young son about a bulletproof vest she was given following the leak of the contentious Roe v Wade decision.
"I didn't expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one," she said.
The Justice also retold an account when she was swatted about six weeks ago and her teenage son opened the door to their home only to be met with police cars responding to false reports of gunshots and "raised voices” in an apparent swatting attempt.
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The Supreme Court’s budget request now moves to Congress, where lawmakers will decide whether to approve the additional funding as part of the broader federal spending process. The request comes amid ongoing concerns from judicial officials that rising threats could undermine the ability of judges and justices to perform their duties safely and independently.
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