1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I write to you today with a profound sense of outrage regarding the Supreme Court’s request for over $200 million in budget increases, including millions to expand their private security force and home protection. It is the height of audacity for this Court to demand that the American public fund their fortress of isolation while they actively dismantle the very rights that protect us. In a purely partisan fashion, this bench has systematically stripped away settled law and constitutional privileges—from medical self-determination to the fundamental expertise of our regulatory bodies. Worse still, they demand our taxpayer dollars while swimming in unchecked corruption: Justice Clarence Thomas accepted undisclosed luxury vacations, private jet flights, and yacht trips funded by billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow. Justice Samuel Alito accepted luxury fishing trips from hedge fund billionaires with cases before the court, all while flying partisan flags at his homes. They operate with complete impunity, insulated by a toothless code of conduct that lacks any actual enforcement mechanism. Yet, they are sending Justices Barrett and Kagan to Capitol Hill tomorrow to beg for expanded security to shield themselves from public anger. If the Justices feel the sting of public disapproval, perhaps they should reflect on why trust in their institution has utterly collapsed. You cannot strip citizens of their fundamental rights, rule with naked partisanship, and then expect those same citizens to pay for your security detail. I urge you to deny this massive funding request until the Court establishes a strictly enforceable ethical code. We must stop funding the protection of an unaccountable, corrupt judiciary.