Authorizing the United States Supreme Court Police to Protect Officials

AUTHORIZING THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT POLICE TO PROTECT OFFICIALS -- (House of Representatives - September 15, 2008)

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6855 extends for 5 years existing authority for the Supreme Court Police to protect the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Court, as well as officers and employees of the Supreme Court who are performing official duties while they are away from the grounds of the Supreme Court building.

When the Supreme Court first moved to its own building just over 70 years ago, we sent them a small contingent of Capitol Police officers commissioned as ``special policemen'' for the protection of the Court. It wasn't until 1982 that Congress provided the force with statutory recognition as the Supreme Court Police. That statute also gave them authority to patrol the Supreme Court buildings and grounds, make arrests, carry firearms, and protect the Chief Justice and any Associate Justices, official guests, and employees of the Court while performing official duties.

In that statute, the Congress also expanded the Supreme Court Police force's authority in a way very similar to what we had granted the Capitol Police the previous year. In 1981, we authorized the Capitol Police to provide protection to individual Members and officers of Congress, as well as their families, on or off the Capitol grounds. Likewise, in 1982 we authorized the Supreme Court Police to protect the Justices and the employees of the court while they're away from the court building anywhere in the United States.

When we first gave this authority to the Supreme Court Police in 1982, it was subject to a 3-year sunset provision. Since then, we have extended this authority 7 times, and this bill will continue that tradition.

In the 26 years since this authority was first granted, threats to all three branches, from terrorists and others who want to disrupt our government, have only increased. That is why it is imperative that we should not allow the authority of the Supreme Court Police to sunset at the end of this year.

I urge my colleagues to support the legislation so that the Supreme Court Police can continue to perform their critical mission effectively.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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