Supreme Court justices facing spike in threats, they tell US lawmakers
US Supreme Court justices are requesting increased security funding due to a surge in threats against them and their families. Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified before Congress, highlighting the personal toll of these threats and the impact of heated political rhetoric.
Why it matters
The safety of the judiciary is critical to the rule of law, and this request underscores growing concerns about political polarization and the security of public officials.
US Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told lawmakers Tuesday that a sharp increase in threats targeting her and other justices is increasingly encroaching on their personal and family lives.
During a rare appearance by justices before Congress, Barrett said she had to take a bulletproof vest home a few years ago, something she struggled to explain to her 12-year-old son.
“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,” she said.
She and Justice Elena Kagan testified before appropriations panels in the House and Senate in support of a request to increase security funding for members of the nation’s highest court.
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