Alito warns Democrats could cut Supreme Court funding

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Thursday night that Congress could effectively halt the high court's operations by cutting its budget, warning that such action would threaten judicial independence. He spoke at the Federalist Society's annual Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner, noting that the judiciary is the weakest branch because Congress controls its appropriations.

Alito did not mention the midterm elections directly. Congress cannot reduce justices' salaries while they serve, but it does control funding for court staff and facilities. In 2023, Democratic senators proposed withholding $10 million until the court adopted stricter ethics rules; the court later issued its first formal code of conduct, though critics said it lacked enforcement power.