House Democrats Block Supreme Court Protection Bill

Despite passing unanimously in the Senate, House Democrats will not approve the Supreme Court Police Parity Act.

The bill would provide Supreme Court justices and members of their families the same level of security protections provided to other high ranking officials in the government.

But Democrats, including leadership, in the House say the bill doesn’t go far enough and refuse to pass it in its current form, delaying necessary protection for the justices as demonstrations ramp up over the weekend.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the security should be extended to law clerks and staff who “have increasingly faced threats to their physical safety.”

“While the Senate passed a bill this week that would extend protection to Supreme Court justices’ family members, we believe that it is critical to safeguard the families of those who choose to serve their country and their communities as judicial clerks and staff as well.”

Hoyer instead wants to pass the House’s Supreme Court Families Security Act of 2022, introduced by Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ), which would “authorize security for the immediate families of the justices as well as court employees, including clerks”.

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) accused Democrats of making “unnecessary” additions to the bill as a stall tactic.

“[Clerks and other staff] are not highly visible or recognizable like the justices are, so they’re unlikely to need that kind of protection. Plus, our staff here even in Congress is not provided that sort of protection.”