Senator Howell T. Heflin (D-AL) has introduced S. 1344, a bill to repeal the requirement relating to specific statutory authorization for increases in judicial salaries, to provide for automatic annual increases for judicial salaries.
Heflin said, "[I]t is my belief that Congress should take action to not only repeal section 140 [of P.L. 97-42] which currently bars cost-of-living adjustments in pay for federal judges, except as specifically authorized by Congress, but to also delink such adjustments from those of members of Congress and other executive schedule employes of the executive branch. . . . They make a lifetime commitment to public service as federal judges. They should be able to plan their financial futures based on the reasonable expectation that their compensation will at least keep even with annual cost-of-living increases."