U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned that Congress could deprive the Supreme Court of funding, which would bring its work to a halt. Speaking at a dinner in memory of Antonin Scalia, organized by the Federalist Society, he stressed that the independence of the judiciary must be preserved, since it determines how the Constitution is interpreted.
Alito also said that some lower-court judges have "gone too far" in abusing power. According to him, certain judges have recently issued unfounded orders that block the president's policies. He did not name the specific rulings he had in mind, so his remarks do not allow conclusions about which cases he meant.
Discussing the constitutional framework, Alito recalled that Article III of the Constitution guarantees that judges' compensation may not be reduced during their term of service. At the same time, Congress's funding powers remain a practical lever of influence over the court's operations. It is precisely this difference between the guarantee of compensation and control over the budget that forms the core of his warning.
Alito has served on the Supreme Court since 2006, when he was nominated by President George W. Bush. He has repeatedly signaled that he does not intend to retire and will serve until the end of the court's current term. His statement is significant amid discussions about the court's composition and future appointments, although sources do not specify whether Alito linked his remarks to this issue.
His speech took place against the backdrop of an investigation opened by the Department of Justice into the leak of a draft decision in the Roe v. Wade case, which subsequently overturned the earlier precedent. This investigation concerns only the leak of the document and is not connected to Alito's speech, but it is taking place at a time when the internal work of the Supreme Court is in the spotlight.
At the same time, it remains unknown whether a concrete proposal to cut the court's funding currently exists in Congress. It is also not specified what reactions the speech provoked among lawmakers or in the White House. Alito delivered his remarks at a forum private to the court, so the further development of the discussion will depend on whether relevant legislative initiatives emerge.