WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. has voiced his support for a measure that would increase pay for federal judges.
Roberts, who has previously called for pay raises for the federal judges, said in his annual report on the state of the federal judiciary that the congressional measure is "vital," The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The language used by the chief justice was softer than in his previous report, which dealt expressly with the salary issue. In the earlier report, he warned "constitutional crisis" could arise if raises were not quickly approved by Congress.
"I simply ask once again for a moment's reflection on how America would look in the absence of a skilled and independent judiciary," Roberts said in his latest report.
Roberts praised a bill that would give federal judges a 31 percent pay increase as a "reasonable compromise." The bill was approved by a 28 to 5 vote of the House Judiciary Committee Dec. 12.
