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The safety of Supreme Court justices should be a priority of the U.S. Congress following the arrest of an armed man near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home on Wednesday. The Senate recognized the need for increased security protocols in early May.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022 on May 5, 2022, and it passed with unanimous consent on May 9. The bill extends existing security protocols to the immediate family members of Supreme Court justices.
The House of Representatives has neglected to take any action on the bill. House Democrats bucked their Senate colleagues and came out against the bill. “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,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) in a May 12 press release.
Amending the current piece of legislation or introducing a new one altogether should not take one month. The original text is just two pages, and expanding protections to clerks and other employees should only be a few sentences. Despite the perceptive ease of creating a more expansive bill, House Democrats continue to drag their feet.
“I’ve actually been engaging with several House members about how we come to a negotiated compromise on that bill and move it forward promptly,” Coons told CNN on Wednesday.
Expanding security to clerks is clearly a point of contention for House Democrats, but the issue is being treated as a secondary priority. The arrest of a man attempting to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh requires House Democrats to take immediate action. Anything short of immediate passage is a failure to do their duty.
“Speaker Pelosi must keep the House in session until they pass my bill,” Sen. Cornyn said in a statement released Wednesday. “Every day they don’t the threat to the Justices grows, the potential for tragedy becomes more likely, and House Democrats achieve a new apex of political dysfunction.”
What do House Democrats have to lose by waiting? The bill that exists before them today has nothing objectionable in it, and even House Democrats agree. If something needs to be added to the bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Hoyer can either quickly amend the current bill or pass it while negotiations continue for a provision covering clerks. The week should not end with no progress made on the Supreme Court Police Parity Act.
Protests at the houses of justices will continue and likely escalate if Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization results in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. House Democrats are not the only ones complicit in this crisis. Former press secretary Jen Psaki defended protesters swarming the houses of justices and their families. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) openly called for action to be taken against the conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
The time has come for Pelosi and Hoyer to make their decision. Safety for our nation’s highest judicial officers should not be a bargaining chip for policy negotiations. Senators stressed the importance of this legislation by passing it with unanimous consent in less than a week. If roadblocks exist in passing this legislation, it is because House Democrats have put them there.
James Sweet is a summer 2022 Washington Examiner fellow.
