Two Republican Senators tore into their Democrat colleagues Tuesday, accusing them of threatening to cut $10 million in funding for Supreme Court security unless SCOTUS does what they want.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) made the explosive accusations during yesterday’s Democrat-led “Supreme Court Ethics Reform” hearing.
“The Left is willing to threaten the lives of the justices,” said Cruz. “This is disgraceful.”
The fiery hearing was held amid a weeks-long media campaign accusing conservative justices of ethics violations and conflicts of interest.
On March 31, fifteen Democrat Senators sent a letter to the to the top Republican and Democrat on a Senate subcommittee in charge of the Supreme Court budget. The Democrats proposed language to be attached to next year’s Supreme Court funding bill requiring the court to adopt a new ethical code with a monitor answerable to Congress to enforce it.
“Congress has broad authority to compel the Supreme Court to institute these reforms, which would join other requirements already legislatively mandated,” the senators wrote. “And Congress’s appropriations power is one tool for achieving these changes.”
The Democrats concluded their letter by threatening to withhold $10 million unless Chief Justice John Roberts notifies the Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress that the Supreme Court has put into effect their “public code of ethics for justices of the Court.”
Republicans argue that the Democrats’ plan to monitor SCOTUS is “unconstitutional” and would lead to political attacks on conservative Justices for intimidation purposes.
The Supreme Court’s 2024 budget request included $4,028,000 in security funding from the Chips and Science Act and $5,897,000 in additional security funding. The protective activities request says: “This request would expand security activities conducted by Supreme Court Police to protect the Justices” and specifically cites the ongoing threats against the justices.
“On-going threat assessments show evolving risks that require continuous protection,” the request continues. “Additional funding would provide for contract positions, eventually transitioning to full-time employees, that will augment capabilities of the Supreme Court police force and allow it to accomplish its protective mission.”
Hawley rounded the above figures: “four plus six equals 10—$10 million of security funding that the court is specifically asking for this year in their budget request,” he said. “So in other words, the threat is: ‘We will deny you security unless you do what we want,'” the senator declared.
“We had an assassin come to the home of Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh and try to murder him. We have had credible threats on the lives of other justices. And now members of this body say ‘We will deny you security for you, your families, your children, unless you do what we want,’” he added. “Extraordinary.”
Josh Hawley 🔥 pic.twitter.com/O6wIR73dxP
— Patriot Pay (@PatriotPayApp) May 3, 2023
“We had 15 Senate Democrats, including six members of this committee, send a letter to the appropriations committee threatening to cut off the funding for security at the Supreme Court,” said Cruz. “The left is willing to threaten the lives of the justices.”
Cruz: "We had 15 Senate Democrats, including six members of this committee, send a letter to the appropriations committee threatening to cut off the funding for security at the Supreme Court. The left is willing to threaten the lives of the justices." pic.twitter.com/ipvhAoU14l
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) May 2, 2023