John Conyers: “I rise in support of this critical legislation, of which I am an original cosponsor. This bill provides the federal…”

“I rise in support of this critical legislation, of which I am an original cosponsor. This bill provides the federal judiciary with a much needed cost of living adjustment (COLA) for their salary. I also would like to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner for his leadership and bipartisanship on this issue. The Constitution mandates that the pay of federal judges "shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office." Unfortunately, by failing to provide judges with annual COLA's over the last decade, they have faced the equivalent of a $77,000 reduction in salary. Currently, federal district court judges earn $150,000 per year. This is much less than they could earn in private practice; in fact, it is less than an attorney right out of law school can earn in private practice. Even the judges' employees, those who work at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts make more than their employers. In the last 30 years, while average pay has increased 12 percent for most workers, it had decreased 25 percent for federal judges. This issue can seem to be just a matter of salary, but it extends deeply into our concept of a democracy and judicial independence.”