US Supreme Court seeks major boost in security funding over threat increase

US Supreme Court seeks major boost in security funding over threat increaseImage source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Justices Elena Kagan (left) and Amy Coney Barrett (right) both spoke to the House Appropriations Committee on TuesdayByBrandon DrenonWashingtonPublished1 hour agoTwo US Supreme Court justices have been lobbying Congress for millions in extra security funding for themselves and their colleagues to help protect them from a rise in threats to their safety. The court's request of $228m (£170.3m) is a 53% increase from last year - most of which is being sought for strengthened security. "The threat level is really high," Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative, said on Tuesday during a rare public appearance by members of the court before the House committee. She and fellow Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal, spoke of rising AI-fuelled cyber-attacks, the threat of drones, and heightened concerns about the effects of an increasingly polarised America. In her opening remarks, Barrett described the difficulty of living under the constant threat of attack and the burden it had placed on her and her family."Six weeks ago, I was the victim of a swatting incident," she said, referring to when a person places hoax calls to emergency services to provoke a significant response from the police. Barrett described the chaos of police cars surrounding her home after a false report was made of gunshots at her residence.She also recounted how her security team had sent her home with a bullet proof vest around the time she ruled with the majority to overturn abortion laws in 2022."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," said Barrett.Kagan, meanwhile, testified that the Supreme Court police expected a 38% rise in security threats this year, adding: "For some of us, those threats have come very close,...