Senate eyes quick passage of security for Supreme Court family members
by Jordain Carney - 05/09/22 2:52 PM ET
The Senate is moving to quickly try to pass legislation that would extend security to family members of Supreme Court justices amid protests at the homes of members of the court following the leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced legislation last week to formally allow the Supreme Court of the United States Police to provide around-the-clock protection to family members, in line with the security some executive and congressional officials get.
Two aides told The Hill on Monday that senators are aiming to quickly pass the bill by unanimous consent, which requires the buy-in of all 100 senators and would let it bypass a formal vote. One of the sources told The Hill that the bill should pass the Senate on Monday or Tuesday.
“Given the ongoing threat posed to some of the Court’s Justices and their families, Sen. Cornyn is working to pass this bill as soon as possible,” a spokesperson for the Texas Republican said.
Any one senator could object and block the Senate from passing the bill without a formal vote, which would require Senate leaders to either shelve the bill or eat up days of precious floor time.
The bill was introduced by the two senators on Thursday, roughly three days after the leak of the draft decision, penned by Justice Samuel Alito, that would strike down the constitutional right to an abortion. Politico, citing a source, reported that four other justices — Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett — were prepared to vote with Alito, giving them a majority to strike down Roe.
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https://thehill.com/news/senate/3482047-senate-eyes-quick-passage-of-security-for-supreme-court-family-members/