Why Supreme Court Justices Are Requesting More Security Funding

What's Happening

Supreme Court justices are asking lawmakers on Capitol Hill to boost their budget for fiscal year 2027, and the bulk of that extra money isn't for salaries, staff, or courthouse upkeep. It's for security. Justices across the ideological spectrum are signaling to Congress that the threats they face have escalated to a point where current protections aren't enough.

This isn't a new conversation, but the ask for more funding suggests the situation has intensified rather than cooled off. According to reporting from The New York Times, the justices are being direct about the fact that safety concerns — not court operations — are the primary driver behind the request.

Why Security Has Become a Bigger Issue

The Supreme Court has faced a rise in threats against its members in recent years, a trend that accelerated after a leaked draft opinion in 2022 sparked nationwide protests and, in one case, an alleged assassination plot against a justice. Since then, the justices have operated under heightened protection, with U.S. Marshals providing round-the-clock security at their homes.

But that kind of protection is expensive and resource-intensive, and it's not just the justices who are exposed — their families and even the buildings that house federal courts have become part of the security calculus. Asking Congress for more money for 2027 signals that court leadership doesn't expect this heightened threat environment to fade anytime soon.

What Congress Will Actually Decide

Budget requests like this go through the usual appropriations process, meaning nothing is guaranteed. Congress will weigh the request alongside dozens of other federal funding priorities, and security spending for the judiciary tends to draw bipartisan support, even in a divided Capitol Hill. Still, the request puts a spotlight on just how much protecting the nation's highest court now costs taxpayers.

The Bigger Picture

This request is part of a broader pattern playing out across American public life — from judges to election officials to members of Congress — where personal safety has become a growing line item in public budgets. The Supreme Court, an institution historically seen as insulated from the kind of security concerns facing elected officials, is now openly acknowledging it needs more protection, not less.

That shift says a lot about the current political and social climate, and it raises questions about how sustainable this level of security spending is long-term, especially if the underlying threats don't subside.