(AFP) – Two US Supreme Court justices made a rare appearance before Congress on Tuesday, seeking funding to protect judges and their families after a divisive term that deepened tensions between the court and President Donald Trump. Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan began a day of testimony before House and Senate panels that control federal spending, the first such appearance by sitting members of the nation’s top court since 2019.
The formal subject is the court’s budget, including millions of dollars in extra security funding after rising threats against judges and a series of alarming incidents involving members of the Supreme Court. But the hearings also come just weeks after a bruising term in which the court delivered major rulings on Trump’s agenda, including decisions blocking his effort to end birthright citizenship and striking down sweeping global tariffs. Trump has praised the conservative-dominated court when it has sided with him, including on presidential immunity, but has sharply criticized judges and justices who have ruled against him.
Barrett, whom Trump nominated in 2020, has drawn particular anger from some conservatives after joining decisions against the president in high-profile cases, despite remaining a reliable vote for many conservative legal outcomes. Kagan, a liberal appointed by Barack Obama, and Barrett, a conservative, are seen as being among the court’s more measured voices, a pairing that may help the judiciary present its request as institutional rather than ideological.
The judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, including more funding for protection at federal courthouses and almost $15 million to expand Supreme Court Police protection for justices and their families, including at their homes. The request follows a 57 percent jump last year in serious threats or security incidents involving judges, according to figures from the US Marshals Service cited by US media.
Lawmakers are expected to question Barrett and Kagan on security, but the hearings could range further, including ethics rules, leaks, prediction markets, and the court’s recent decisions. The court has faced sustained criticism over undisclosed gifts and luxury travel involving some justices, prompting calls from Democrats for stronger ethics rules, term limits, or even expanding the court.
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