Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told a House appropriations subcommittee Tuesday that threats against federal judges continue to rise as she and Justice Elena Kagan appeared before lawmakers to discuss the Supreme Court's fiscal 2027 budget request.

The threat level against federal judges is "really high," Barrett said.

The Supreme Court is requesting $228.4 million for fiscal 2027, nearly 10% more than the $207.8 million appropriated for 2026, with much of the increase dedicated to security and cybersecurity.

CNBC reported that Barrett testified that the growing number of threats has had a personal impact on her family.

"Those statistics sound abstract, but being on the receiving end of them is not," she said.

Barrett recalled being sent home with a bulletproof vest in 2022 after threats intensified following the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that later overturned Roe v. Wade.

"I carried it into my house," Barrett said, explaining that her 12-year-old son immediately asked what the vest was and why she had it.

"I didn't know how to respond because maybe I lack imagination, but 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," she said.

Barrett also described a recent "swatting" incident at her house after police responded to a false report of gunfire.

"I was very, very grateful that I had Supreme Court Police outside my home because they were able to stop and meet with and explain to the county police that it had been a false alarm," she said.

She added that the justices also have received "threatening anonymous deliveries designed to intimidate and harass us."

Kagan said threats against the court are increasing.

"The Supreme Court Police expect a smaller but still very substantial 38% annual increase in threats this year, which follows a 25% increase last year," she said.

"For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize," Kagan said.

Barrett said cybersecurity threats are also increasing.

"The rapid advancement of AI [artificial intelligence] is making that more and more possible," she said, adding that part of the requested funding would be used to hire more cybersecurity experts.

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, opened the hearing by saying judges "must be able to do their jobs without fear for their safety or their families' safety."