Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered rare and deeply personal testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, describing the escalating threats facing members of the nation’s highest court and urging lawmakers to approve additional funding for judicial security.
Barrett, joined by Justice Elena Kagan, recounted receiving a bulletproof vest following the 2022 leak of the Dobbs decision and described a recent “swatting” incident at her home, in which a false emergency report prompted a law enforcement response. She also spoke of anonymous, threatening deliveries that have targeted her family, underscoring the growing risks faced by federal judges.
“My security detail sent me home with a bulletproof vest, and I carried it into my house, put it into my bedroom, dropped it down on a table, turned around, and my 12-year-old son was standing in the doorway of my bedroom, and he wanted to know what it was and why I had it,” Barrett noted. “I didn’t expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one.”
The testimony comes after President Donald Trump publicly criticized Barrett on social media following Supreme Court decisions in which she did not side with his administration, adding to broader attacks from some of his supporters.
After the court ruled against Trump on tariffs, he launched an extraordinary attack describing justices in the majority as a “disgrace to our nation” and “very unpatriotic.’
The Supreme Court is seeking roughly a 10% increase in its budget, with much of the additional funding earmarked for expanded security measures for justices, their families, and court personnel. Both Barrett and Kagan warned that threats against judges have risen sharply in recent years, arguing that protecting judicial independence requires ensuring the physical safety of those who serve on the bench.