Live updates: Supreme Court justices defend $228 million budget request...

Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan are testifying before the House and Senate appropriations committees to defend the high court’s $228 million budget request. While the court submits budget requests every year, it is rare for its justices to advocate for funding before Congress. This is the first time a sitting justice has testified before Congress since 2019, when Kagan and Justice Samuel Alito did so. The budget request includes an increase of $14.6 million to help boost personal security for justices, including a new facility to screen visitors entering the court. The request comes amid a highly polarized and politically charged landscape. Members of the federal judiciary have faced increasing threats in recent years. Barrett was targeted by a so-called swatting call in May, prompting law enforcement to respond to a false report of gunshots fired at her residence in northern Virginia.