House passes bill expanding police protection to families of Supreme Court justices News
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House passes bill expanding police protection to families of Supreme Court justices

The US House of Representatives Tuesday passed a bill which would provide additional security measures for Supreme Court justices’ families. The Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022 passed in a 396-27 vote and will now go to President Joe Biden’s desk for final approval.

The bill was introduced and passed with unanimous consent in the US Senate shortly after a draft of a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade leaked. Since the leak, Supreme Court justices have faced increased threats and protests at their personal residences. The bill expands police protection to any member of the Supreme Court justices’ immediate families. Supreme Court justices already have round-the-clock security details.

House Democrats sought to include the families of court employees in the bill. However, news of the arrest of an armed man outside of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s personal residence increased pressure on House legislators to pass the bill. While the final version of the bill does not include explicit protection for the families of court officers, it does include language pertaining to “any officer of the Supreme Court if the Marshal determines that such protection is necessary.”

Democrats said they plan to pursue protection for Supreme Court employees and their families in a separate bill.