Dianne Feinstein: “I rise, along with Senator Thompson, to introduce legislation to restore pay equity for our Federal judges. This…”

“I rise, along with Senator Thompson, to introduce legislation to restore pay equity for our Federal judges. This legislation would guarantee judges automatic and annual cost-of-living adjustments, COLAs, just like other rank-and-file Federal employees. In addition, the legislation would end a decade of Federal judicial salary neglect by giving judges a one-time salary increase of 9.6 percent. In the past decade, Congress has denied COLAs for judges in four separate years, in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998. This bill would restore to Federal justices the four COLAs they have lost. In his year-end report on the state of the Federal Judiciary, Chief Justice William Rehnquist called the 'the need to increase judicial salaries' the most pressing issue facing the Federal judiciary. Simply put, while government service offers its own rewards, we should not create financial disincentives to service on the Federal bench. Federal judges bear enormous responsibility as they preside over the most pressing legal issues. Often, they must render life-or-death decisions or preside over cases with millions of dollars at stake. For this vitally important work, they deserve appropriate compensation.”