Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, famous for his silence on the Supreme Court bench, will open his mouth in public Thursday.

He'll be asking for money.

Thomas and his fellow associate justice, Stephen Breyer, will be making a joint appearance Thursday morning before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. The two justices will be making the case for the Supreme Court's Fiscal 2010 budget.

Overall, for 2010, the Judiciary is asking for $6.6 billion. This marks a $500 million increase over 2009. But from testimony so far, the Supreme Court's grounds and building maintenance are in for a big cut. The Supreme Court received $69.7 million for salaries and expenses and $18.4 million for buildings and grounds in 2009. The 2010 request includes a 7.1 percent increase for salaries and expenses but a whopping 21 percent decrease for care of buildings and grounds.

Just speculating, but some of that decrease may reflect the fact that some ongoing renovations may have been finished.