Senate Judiciary Appoves Big Boost To Judicial Salaries, Clears Top DOJ Official

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation on Thursday afternoon giving a big pay raise - 29% - to federal judges, as well as approving the nomination of Mark R. Filip to take over the number two post at the Justice Department.

Under the plan approved by the committee, federal district court judges would see their annual salaries jump from the current $169,300 to $218,000. Appeals court judges would go from making $179,500 tp $231,100, while Supreme Court justices would see nearly $60,000 pay increase, from $208,100 to $267,900. Chief Justice John Roberts would get $279,900 annually.

Federal judges last received a salary boost in 1989, said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Specter supported the pay increase, which would see federal judges making significantly more than members of Congress and senators.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who along with other leading senators in both parties was seeking an even bigger pay raise, noted that dozens of federal judges were leaving office, despite lifetime appointments to their offices, because of low pay when compared to the private sector or academia.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) offered an amendment to the judicial pay boost that will prevent federal judges from free trips, gifts or any outside income valued at more than $2,000 at one time, with an annual aggregate limit of $20,000. The Feingold amendment may kill the judicial pay raise if it isn't stripped out on the Senate floor, some senators suggested during the Judiciary Committee markup of the legislation.

The Judiciary Committee also approved Filip's nomination, in addition to clearing nominees for two other DOJ posts. Attorney General Michael Mukasey, in an appearance before the panel on Wednesday, had urged the senators to act quickly in approving President Bush's nominees for other vacant positions at Justice.

…