Alito warns Congress could withhold Supreme Court funding, stopping its activities

The short version

• NBC News reports that Justice Samuel Alito warned Congress could halt Supreme Court activity by withholding its funding.[NBC News]
• Alito spoke Thursday night at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention in Washington, D.C., describing the judiciary as vulnerable to the executive and Congress.[NBC News]
• He described court power as a limited tool, comparing it to a hand grenade rather than a nuclear weapon, and did not directly address the recent midterms.[NBC News]

Key facts

• Alito spoke at an event in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night.[NBC News]
• Alito said Congress can turn off the lights of the Supreme Court by declining to fund its activities.[NBC News]
• The remarks were made at the Federalist Society's annual National Lawyers Convention.[NBC News]
• Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate in the recent midterm elections.[NBC News]
• Alito described the judiciary as a hand grenade rather than a nuclear weapon or 500-pound bomb.[NBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Alito says Supreme Court is caught between the president and a Congress that can ‘turn off the lights’NBC News - Top Stories