U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) called on House Democratic leadership on Friday (June 10) to approve a measure that would provide security to chief justices.
“Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi, Leader [Steny] Hoyer: I urge you to pass the Supreme Court Police Parity Act without further, unnecessary delay,” Cornyn said in a tweet. “This will assure the justices have the same personal protection you now have from Capitol Police.”
Cornyn’s plea came after Washington, D.C. attorney Jonathan Turley tweeted that protesters had converged on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s residence.
The senior senator is among the numerous GOP lawmakers demanding protection for Supreme Court justices after a man was arrested for an alleged assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Yahoo! News reported that authorities allege 26-year-old Nicholas John Roske, of California, traveled to Kavanaugh’s Maryland home but contacted 911 to say he had suicidal thoughts. Police detained Roske upon his arrival.
According to Yahoo!, authorities discovered items such as a Glock 17 handgun, a tactical knife, pepper spray and tools inside the suspect’s backpack.
Roske purportedly told authorities that his plot was rooted in last month’s leak of a Supreme Court opinion draft that points toward a probable overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Shortly after the leak, the Supreme Court became the site of protests for abortion rights, prompting law enforcement to erect security fences around the property.
Austin Journal reported that Texas Republicans lauded the text while Lone Star Democrats decried it.
“This is why I led a 24-state coalition in support of Mississippi’s law banning them after 15 weeks,” Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a tweet alluding to the draft. “I’ll continue to ensure that Texas protects the unborn and pray for the end of abortion across our nation.”
The Bloomberg Law website reported that the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the security legislation next week.
