Supreme Court Security Would Get Funding Boost in Senate Bill

The US Supreme Court would get more money for security under bipartisan legislation approved by a Senate committee that would also boost funding for the judiciary.

The Appropriations Committee on Thursday easily approved the $8.56 billion judiciary spending plan as part of a package covering a number of agencies for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The measure now goes to the full Senate. A House committee is still working on its version.

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), the top Republican on the subcommittee with jurisdiction over judiciary spending, said at the markup the legislation includes nearly $10 million in additional security funding for the high court.

Hagerty wasn’t specific about where the new money would go, but the judiciary asked Congress in March to improve physical security at the court and further protect the justices.

The judiciary said in its fiscal 2024 budget document that “on-going threat assessments show evolving risks that require continuous protection” for the justices by the Supreme Court police.

Security was ramped up after a leaked draft of the court’s conservative-led opinion a year ago overturning abortion rights sparked protests at the court and outside the justices’ homes.

The judiciary overall would get a $106 million increase above what was enacted for the current fiscal year. Extra money will boost spending for cybersecurity and IT modernization, according to a bill summary.

Also at the hearing, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), chair of the subcommittee overseeing judiciary funding, proposed and then withdrew an amendment to sideline $10 million from the Supreme Court budget until Chief Justice John Roberts adopted a code of ethics for the court. Security funding would’ve been preserved.

Van Hollen’s amendment was another signal from Democrats who’ve been pushing the court to embrace an ethics code similar to the one followed by every other federal judge.

Van Hollen withdrew the proposal after a discussion among committee members. He noted the matter was best left to the Judiciary Committee, which plans to take up a Supreme Court code of ethics legislation on July 20.