Stop huge pay raises for federal judges

Tue, 17 Jun 2003 08:40:28 -0700

--------------16B01A86BD5F0E12CE90DB84
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Congressional Reform Briefings, June 17, 2003

Opponents of the proposed enormous 16.5% pay raise for federal judges
sent letters yesterday to every Member of Congress, urging them to stop
the federal judicial pay hike.

At present, federal district judges earn $154,700, plus benefits and
generous pensions.  U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Pat Leahy
(D-VT), and Representatives Henry Hyde (R-IL) and John Conyers (D-MI)
have introduced legislation (S. 1023, H.R. 2118) to give federal judges
a 16.5% pay raise.  This legislation has been endorsed by President
Bush.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
Please contact your Members of Congress and tell them that federal
judges do not need or deserve a 16.5% raise, and that you oppose H.R.
2118 and S. 1023.

The Congressional switchboard phone number is (202) 225-3121. To find
the fax numbers and e-mail addresses of Members of Congress, see
<http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/>.

Yesterday’s letter to Members of Congress follows.

Dear Senator/Representative:

In recent weeks, a chorus of attorneys and federal judges has been
decrying supposedly low federal judicial salaries.  Supreme Court Chief
Justice William Rehnquist has even claimed astonishingly that boosting
salaries is “the most pressing issue facing the federal judiciary
today.”

They plead for an eye-popping 16.5% federal judicial pay hike.  With the
proposed raises, in addition to benefits and generous pensions, the
Chief Justice would be paid $231,400 (from the present $198,600),
associate justices $221,500 (from the present $190,100), circuit judges
$191,100 (from the present $164,000) and district judges $180,200 (from
the present $154,700).

There is no need for such a raise.  Our federal judges are not poor,
either in absolute terms, by comparison with their colleagues, or by
historical standards.  Contrary to some reports that federal judges’
salaries have been heavily eroded by inflation, salaries for district
court judges are higher than the average during the past 50 years,
adjusted for inflation.  Fifty years ago, their salaries were $51,000
less, in current dollars.  Since the infamous 1989 midnight
congressional pay grab, district court judges are $22,000 above
inflation, in current dollars.

Circuit judges already enjoy more than twice the average lawyer’s
earnings, which was $80,000 per year, according to the 2000 Bureau of
Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey.

The federal government cannot afford to give such lavish raises to its
judges, far above the already generous salaries of most Members of
Congress.  Our U.S. government debt is currently $6.6 trillion, and
rising fast.  The fiscal picture is grim and deteriorating.  The
Congressional Budget Office is forecasting a federal deficit in excess
of $400 billion for 2003. Some private analysts predict even worse for
2004.

If judges wish to leave the bench to earn more, they are free to do so
in the private, for-profit sector.  Their public service is not
compulsory.  There is no lack of excellent law professors, general
practitioners, and public interest, legal services, labor, civil
liberties and government lawyers eager and willing to replace them.  For
most of these lawyers, the current federal judicial salaries would be a
sizable raise.

We strongly urge you to oppose the proposed special 16.5% judicial pay
raise.  Federal judges are supposed to demonstrate moral as well as
legal authority.  They should set an example of prudent self-restraint
at a time of growing sacrifices by the working families who pay their
salaries.

Sincerely,

Ralph Nader
Gary Ruskin, Director, Congressional Accountability Project
Pete Sepp, Vice President for Communications, National Taxpayers Union
Paul M. Weyrich, President, Free Congress Foundation
Jill Lancelot, President/Co-Founder, Taxpayers for Common Sense
Dave Williams, Vice President of Policy, Council for Citizens Against
Government Waste
Joe Seehusen, Executive Director, Libertarian Party

<------letter ends here----->

The Congressional Accountability Project opposes corruption in the U.S.
Congress, and promotes congressional reform. For more information, see
our website at: <http://www.congressproject.org>.

Congressional Reform Briefings are distributed electronically via the
cong-reform mailing list <cong-reform@lists.essential.org>. To subscribe
to the cong-reform mailing list, go to
<http://lists.essential.org/mailman/listinfo/cong-reform>.

--
Gary Ruskin | gary@congressproject.org
Commercial Alert | http://www.commercialalert.org/
Congressional Accountability Project |
http://www.congressproject.org/
phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073

--------------16B01A86BD5F0E12CE90DB84
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
Congressional Reform Briefings, June 17, 2003
Opponents of the proposed enormous 16.5% pay
raise for federal judges sent <a href="http://www.congressproject.org/releases/judicialsalaries2003.htm">letters</a>
yesterday to every Member of Congress, urging them to stop the federal
judicial pay hike.
At present, federal district judges earn $154,700,
plus benefits and generous pensions.&nbsp; U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
and Pat Leahy (D-VT), and Representatives Henry Hyde (R-IL) and John Conyers
(D-MI) have introduced legislation (S. 1023, H.R. 2118) to give federal
judges a 16.5% pay raise.&nbsp; This legislation has been endorsed by President
Bush.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
 Please contact your Members of Congress and
tell them that federal judges do not need or deserve a 16.5% raise, and
that you oppose H.R. 2118 and S. 1023.
The Congressional switchboard phone number
is (202) 225-3121.&nbsp; To find the fax numbers and e-mail addresses of
Members of Congress, see &lt;<a href="http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/">http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/</a>>.
Yesterday’s letter to Members of Congress
follows.
Dear Senator/Representative:
In recent weeks, a chorus of attorneys and
federal judges has been decrying supposedly low federal judicial salaries.&nbsp;
Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist has even claimed astonishingly
that boosting salaries is “the most pressing issue facing the federal judiciary
today.”
They plead for an eye-popping 16.5% federal
judicial pay hike.&nbsp; With the proposed raises, in addition to benefits
and generous pensions, the Chief Justice would be paid $231,400 (from the
present $198,600), associate justices $221,500 (from the present $190,100),
circuit judges $191,100 (from the present $164,000) and district judges
$180,200 (from the present $154,700).
There is no need for such a raise.&nbsp; Our
federal judges are not poor, either in absolute terms, by comparison with
their colleagues, or by historical standards.&nbsp; Contrary to some reports
that federal judges’ salaries have been heavily eroded by inflation, salaries
for district court judges are higher than the average during the past 50
years, adjusted for inflation.&nbsp; Fifty years ago, their salaries were
$51,000 less, in current dollars.&nbsp; Since the infamous 1989 midnight
congressional pay grab, district court judges are $22,000 above inflation,
in current dollars.
Circuit judges already enjoy more than twice
the average lawyer’s earnings, which was $80,000 per year, according to
the 2000 Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey.
The federal government cannot afford to give
such lavish raises to its judges, far above the already generous salaries
of most Members of Congress.&nbsp; Our U.S. government debt is currently
$6.6 trillion, and rising fast.&nbsp; The fiscal picture is grim and deteriorating.&nbsp;
The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting a federal deficit in excess
of $400 billion for 2003. Some private analysts predict even worse for
2004.
If judges wish to leave the bench to earn
more, they are free to do so in the private, for-profit sector.&nbsp; Their
public service is not compulsory.&nbsp; There is no lack of excellent law
professors, general practitioners, and public interest, legal services,
labor, civil liberties and government lawyers eager and willing to replace
them.&nbsp; For most of these lawyers, the current federal judicial salaries
would be a sizable raise.
We strongly urge you to oppose the proposed
special 16.5% judicial pay raise.&nbsp; Federal judges are supposed to
demonstrate moral as well as legal authority.&nbsp; They should set an
example of prudent self-restraint at a time of growing sacrifices by the
working families who pay their salaries.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
 Gary Ruskin, Director, Congressional Accountability
Project
 Pete Sepp, Vice President for Communications,
National Taxpayers Union
 Paul M. Weyrich, President, Free Congress
Foundation
 Jill Lancelot, President/Co-Founder, Taxpayers
for Common Sense
 Dave Williams, Vice President of Policy,
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
 Joe Seehusen, Executive Director, Libertarian
Party
&lt;------letter ends here----->
The Congressional Accountability Project opposes
corruption in the U.S. Congress, and promotes congressional reform.&nbsp;
For more information, see our website at: &lt;<a href="http://www.congressproject.org">http://www.congressproject.org</a>>.
Congressional Reform Briefings are distributed
electronically via the cong-reform mailing list &lt;cong-reform@lists.essential.org>.
To subscribe to the cong-reform mailing list, go to &lt;<a href="http://lists.essential.org/mailman/listinfo/cong-reform">http://lists.essential.org/mailman/listinfo/cong-reform</a>>.
--
 Gary Ruskin | gary@congressproject.org
 Commercial Alert | <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org/">http://www.commercialalert.org/</a>
 Congressional Accountability Project |
 <a href="http://www.congressproject.org/">http://www.congressproject.org/</a>
 phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073
 &nbsp;</html>

--------------16B01A86BD5F0E12CE90DB84--