Federal Judicial Fairness Act of 2006

The Federal Judicial Fairness Act of 2006 (H.R. 5014) proposed a restructuring of how federal judges and Supreme Court Justices receive pay increases. The bill sought to repeal a requirement that judicial raises must be specifically authorized by an Act of Congress, instead making annual cost-of-living adjustments automatic. Additionally, the legislation would have provided an immediate increase in the base salary for the Chief Justice, Associate Justices, and various federal circuit, district, and bankruptcy judges.

For citizens, the practical impact of this bill would have been a shift in how tax dollars are allocated to the judicial branch, ensuring that federal judges' pay keeps pace with inflation regardless of specific congressional votes. Proponents of such measures generally argue that decoupling judicial pay from political debates helps maintain an independent judiciary and attracts high-quality legal talent to the federal bench. While the bill was introduced in 2006, it did not advance past the committee stage to become law.