Justices Barrett and Kagan Tell Congress: "Threat Level Against Judges Is Really High"

Photo description: Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testify before the House Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill on July 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Finn Gomez | Getty Images)

What Is This All About? (ELI5)

The Supreme Court is like the top boss of judges in the United States. The people who work there are called Justices. Two of them — Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan — went to talk to a smaller team of politicians (called a subcommittee) from the House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. They were there to discuss the court’s wish list for money in the future (called a budget request).

The Big Worry: Safety Threats

Justice Barrett said something serious: the danger level against her and other federal judges is "really high." She told the subcommittee (a group that looks at government money) that even though numbers about threats might sound like boring facts, "being on the receiving end of them is not" — meaning it feels scary in real life.

Here are the specific scary things she mentioned:

• Bulletproof vest: After a news outlet learned early about a court decision that changed the old rule saying there was a constitutional right to abortion, her security team gave her a special shirt that stops bullets.
• Swatting attack: Recently, someone called the police and lied, saying there was a shooting and loud arguments at her house. This trick is called "swatting" – it sends armed police to an innocent person’s home.

Important Point: Swatting is a fake emergency call meant to trick police into rushing to someone’s home. It is very dangerous and scary.

A Rare Appearance

Barrett and Kagan are the first Supreme Court justices to talk to Congress since 2019. Back then, Kagan and another justice, Samuel Alito, spoke to the same subcommittee about the court’s budget request.

The Money They Want (The Budget Request)

The Supreme Court is asking Congress to give them a certain amount of money for the 2027 fiscal year (a government counting year). Let’s look at the numbers:

• Requested amount: $228.4 million for fiscal year 2027.
• Previous amount: $207.8 million was given for 2026.
• Increase: That’s about a 10% bump up.
• Why more? The extra cash is to pay for stronger security measures to protect judges (security-related spending).

Step-by-Step of the Testimony (Numbered Recap)

1. Justices Barrett and Kagan arrived at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on July 14, 2026.
2. Barrett said the "threat level" against federal judges is "really high" and that stats don’t show the real fear.
3. She shared the bulletproof vest story linked to a leaked opinion that reversed the earlier Supreme Court decision about a constitutional right to abortion.
4. She described the "swatting" attack on her home (false report of shooting and raised voices).
5. The justices noted this is the first such testimony since 2019 (when Kagan and Alito did it).
6. The court’s budget request of $228.4 million (10% more than 2026) was laid out, with security as the main reason.

Note: This was breaking news at the time of reporting, and updates were expected. (The original article asked readers to refresh for updates.)

Summary

In simple words: Two top judges told Congress that they and their colleagues are facing a lot of danger, including fake police calls and needing bulletproof gear. They asked for a bit more money (about 10% more) for 2027 to help with security. This kind of talk to Congress is rare, not done since 2019. The situation shows that being a judge at the highest level can be risky today.

FAQ

Q1: What is the Supreme Court?
A: It is the highest court in the U.S. – like the final referee for important laws. Its judges are called justices.

Q2: What does "threat level is really high" mean?
A: It means there are many serious dangers or warnings against the judges, like angry messages or attacks, so they feel unsafe.

Q3: What is "swatting"?
A: It is a cruel prank where someone calls police with a fake story (like a shooting) to make officers rush to an innocent person’s home.

Q4: Why do they need a bulletproof vest?
A: Because after secret court info leaked about a decision reversing the old right to abortion, her security gave her the vest to protect from bullets.

Q5: What is a subcommittee?
A: A small group of members from the House of Representatives that focuses on a specific area – here, money and general government.