Alito Warns Congress Can ‘Turn Off the Lights’ at Supreme Court

Ground ^ | 11/13/2026

[Responsibility2nd]

• Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned on Thursday that Congress could "turn off the lights" at the high court by defunding its activities, defending the importance of an independent judiciary.
• The remarks occurred at the annual Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner, held one week after Democrats swept control of both houses of Congress as a tentpole for the conservative legal movement.
• Alito told a crowd of more than 1,000 conservative lawyers that the judiciary remains "vulnerable" to Congress, while Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Amy Coney Barrett visited Capitol Hill over the summer to advocate for increased security funding.
• In the same speech, Alito criticized lower-court judges for issuing "unjustified" orders blocking presidential policies in recent years, arguing some have gone "far astray" in abusing their powers.
• Following appearances by Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett last year, Alito remains the latest conservative justice to headline the dinner, having previously described pandemic restrictions as "previously unimaginable.

---

TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: alito; supremecourt

[Responsibility2nd]

Additional hotlinks at the link

[gibsonguy]

Alito told a crowd of more than 1,000 conservative lawyers “

There’s that many?

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

And the Left intends to do so in order to overthrow the government.

[Empire_of_Liberty]

Who turns off the lights of Congress?

[griswold3]

When they tell you their intentions, listen.

[mrmeyer]

So turn off their lights first

[mrmeyer]

So turn off their lights first

[scrabblehack]

But the justices’ salaries are protected....

---

The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall
not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

---

[Secret Agent Man]

Really there only one thing that can, outside of foreign invasion.