Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett are scheduled to testify before a House Appropriations subcommittee on July 14 to discuss the high court’s fiscal 2027 budget request. The appearance, confirmed by a legislative agenda released Tuesday, marks the first time Supreme Court justices have testified before Congress since 2019.
The bipartisan pairing—Kagan, appointed by President Barack Obama, and Barrett, appointed by President Donald Trump—will appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. This session follows the conclusion of the court’s 2025-26 term.
While the justices are not expected to address specific rulings from the recent term, the hearing comes at a time of heightened scrutiny regarding the court’s operations. The last such testimony in 2019, provided by Justices Kagan and Samuel Alito, focused on the necessity of security funding. Since that time, the court has faced significant security challenges, including protests at the homes of justices and a 2022 incident in which an armed individual was arrested near the residence of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The 2022 arrest, which resulted in a conviction and prison sentence for the perpetrator in 2025, underscored the shifting security environment for the judiciary. As the subcommittee reviews the fiscal 2027 request, the discussion is expected to reflect the evolution of safety protocols and resource allocation required to protect the institution and its members.