Supreme Court justices describe bulletproof vests, 200M cyber attacks in first Senate testimony since 2011

Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before the Senate on Tuesday for the first time since 2011, telling appropriators the Supreme Court faces more than 200 million cyber intrusion attempts each year and a physical threat environment that has forced justices to wear bulletproof vests and travel with security details around the clock.

The court is asking Congress for $14 million more in fiscal year 2027 salaries and expenses, a 7% increase to the operating budget, to fund new Dignitary Protection Unit officers, a second residential security office, and 12 cybersecurity experts. The request reflects what subcommittee chairman Bill Hagerty called "an increasingly dangerous threat environment and the recognition that more resources are needed to counteract this concerning reality."

A Second Budget Request Draws Scrutiny

Senators pressed both justices on why the court privately sought an additional $30 million after Congress appropriated $28 million for residential security. Senator Jack Reed said "the court began privately lobbying for another $30 million" weeks after that appropriation was signed. Kagan explained that the additional request was driven by the unexpectedly early end of U.S. Marshals residential protection. The court had anticipated six more months of Marshal coverage before learning abruptly that it would not continue. She said the process was "procedurally less than optimal" and apologized. Barrett said the court wants to be transparent on future requests. Reed said he hoped the appearance would become annual.