**Saxbe fix**
**Definition:**
The Saxbe fix is a legislative procedure used in the United States to reduce the salary of a government office to the level it was before a nominee for that office received a pay raise, thereby circumventing the Ineligibility Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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**Saxbe fix**
The Saxbe fix is a legal mechanism employed by the U.S. Congress to allow the appointment of individuals to certain government positions whose salaries have increased since they last held elected office. According to the Ineligibility Clause, members of Congress cannot be appointed to civil offices if the salary for that office was increased during their term. To bypass this restriction, Congress passes legislation reducing the salary back to its previous level, effectively removing the constitutional barrier.
The term originates from the 1973 appointment of Senator William Saxbe as Attorney General, when Congress reduced the office’s salary to permit his appointment. While the fix has been used multiple times, it remains a subject of legal debate regarding its constitutionality.
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**Meta description:**
The Saxbe fix is a legislative method used to reduce government salaries to allow appointments that would otherwise be barred by the U.S. Constitution’s Ineligibility Clause. It originated with Senator William Saxbe’s 1973 appointment as Attorney General.