U.S. Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barret asked members of the House Appropriations Committee today for more security funding.
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is on the committee and spoke with the justices. “I did ask about some of the potential gaps in funding resources and, frankly, navigating an increased threat environment. They’re struggling in some cases to recruit police officers,” Hinson says.
Hinson, a Republican from Marion, has two teenage sons and says she knows about the concerns the justices have for their families. “Shared with Justice Coney Barrett about some of the conversations I’ve had to have with my own kids about the threat environment, especially after she shared her story of having to take home a bulletproof vest and explaining that to her at the time, 12 year old,” Hinson says.
Justices told Hinson they want security in the courtrooms while also keeping them accessible to everyone, and they need proper security while they are making public appearances. Hinson says she understands those concerns. “We need to make sure that the Supreme Court justices are safe, and oversight is one of our most important jobs on the House Appropriations Committee,” she says. “So we need to make sure those taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly, and we need to make sure that the separate branch of government, the courts, that those justices are also safe.”
The two justices also spokes to members of the U.S. Senate today about their security concerns and request for increased funding.