Omar Bennett
The 27th Amendment to the US Constitution, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, was added in 1992. It was one of the first proposed amendments, but it lay dormant for almost 80 years as it was not ratified by enough states. The amendment states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may take effect only after the next election of the House of Representatives.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date proposed | June 8, 1789 |
| Date submitted to states for ratification | September 25, 1789 |
| Date ratified | May 7, 1992 |
| Number of states that ratified the amendment | 38 |
| Number of states that did not ratify the amendment | 4 (Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania) |
| Common name | Congressional Compensation Act of 1789 |
| Subject matter | Prevents members of Congress from receiving a salary increase or decrease until after the next election of the House of Representatives |
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What You'll Learn
The 27th Amendment was proposed in 1789
The 27th Amendment, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, was first proposed by Representative James Madison of Virginia in the House of Representatives on June 8, 1789. Madison intended for the amendment to be added to Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that "The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States".
The amendment was designed to prevent corruption in the Legislative Branch by ensuring that none of the Congress members would receive an increase in salary before being voted out of office. On August 24, 1789, the full House debated the issue and passed it, along with 16 other articles of amendment. The proposals then moved to the Senate, which made 26 substantive alterations.
On September 9, 1789, the Senate approved a final package of 12 articles of amendment, which included the 27th Amendment. However, this amendment, along with the proposed Congressional Apportionment Amendment, failed to be ratified by enough states to come into force at that time. It was largely forgotten until 1982 when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper arguing for its ratification to curtail political corruption.
The 27th Amendment was finally ratified in 1992, when Michigan became the 38th state to ratify it. Don W. Wilson, the Archivist of the United States, certified the amendment's ratification on May 18, 1992, and it was officially published in the Federal Register the following day. The amendment states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives.
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It was ratified in 1992
The 27th Amendment, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, was ratified in 1992, over 200 years after it was first proposed. This long delay was due to the amendment being largely forgotten until 1982, when it was revived by a student named Gregory Watson. Watson wrote a paper arguing for the amendment's ratification as a way to curtail political corruption.
The 27th Amendment addresses congressional compensation, stating that any changes to the salary of members of Congress can only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives. This amendment was designed to prevent corruption in the Legislative Branch by ensuring that none of the Congress members would receive increased salaries before being voted out of office.
The process of ratification for this amendment was unique. Initially, it was believed that Michigan's ratification on May 7, 1992, was the 38th state, fulfilling the requirement for a three-fourths majority. However, it was later discovered that Kentucky had also ratified the amendment during its initial month of statehood. This meant that Alabama, which acted on May 5, 1992, was the state that officially finalized the amendment's addition to the Constitution.
Despite being ratified in 1992, the 27th Amendment has faced very little litigation since then. Federal courts have determined that it does not impact cost-of-living adjustments issued by Congress. This means that while Congress members' pay rates cannot be changed until after general elections, adjustments to meet cost-of-living requirements are exempt from this rule.
The 27th Amendment is a unique part of the United States Constitution, with a long journey from its proposal in 1789 to its eventual ratification in 1992, showcasing the enduring relevance of the nation's founding document.
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It concerns Congressional pay
The 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, concerns the pay of members of Congress. It states that any changes to the salary of members of Congress cannot take effect until after the next election. In other words, Congress cannot increase or decrease their salaries during their current term and must wait until after the next election of representatives for any changes to take effect.
The 27th Amendment was proposed by Representative James Madison of Virginia in 1789 and was one of the first proposed amendments to the Constitution. Madison's intention was to prevent corruption in the Legislative Branch by ensuring that Congress members could not give themselves a pay raise before being voted out of office. The amendment was submitted to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789, along with 11 other proposed amendments. However, it was not ratified by enough states at that time and was largely forgotten until the 1980s.
In 1982, Gregory Watson, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper arguing that the amendment was still relevant and could be added to the Constitution. Watson launched a campaign to get the amendment ratified and gained traction in 1983 and 1984, with several states ratifying the amendment. On May 7, 1992, Michigan became the 38th state to ratify the amendment, and on May 18, 1992, the Archivist of the United States certified that the amendment's ratification had been completed.
The 27th Amendment is unique in that it took over 200 years from its proposal to its ratification, and it is the most recently adopted amendment to the Constitution. It has faced little litigation since its ratification, but there have been legal challenges regarding Congressional cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The courts have ruled that these adjustments do not violate the amendment as long as they take effect after the next election.
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It's also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789
The Twenty-seventh Amendment (Amendment XXVII) to the United States Constitution, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, was proposed by Representative James Madison of Virginia on June 8, 1789. Madison intended for the amendment to be added to the end of Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that "The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States".
The Congressional Compensation Act of 1789 was one of twelve amendments proposed by the first Congress in 1789. The amendment states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress can only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives has occurred. The purpose of this amendment is to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by allowing the public to remove members of Congress from office before their salaries increase.
The amendment was submitted to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789, along with eleven other proposed amendments (Articles I-XII). However, it was not ratified by enough states to come into force with the other amendments. Only seven states ratified the amendment through 1792, and it was largely forgotten until 1982 when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper for a government class in which he claimed that the amendment was still pending ratification.
In the early 1990s, several more states ratified the amendment, and on May 18, 1992, the Archivist of the United States certified that the amendment's ratification had been completed. The Twenty-seventh Amendment is the most recently adopted amendment to the United States Constitution, but it was one of the first proposed.
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It was proposed by Representative James Madison
The 27th Amendment, or the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, was first proposed by Representative James Madison of Virginia on June 8, 1789. Madison proposed a series of amendments, including the 27th, which was intended to be added to Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 of the Constitution. This clause states that:
> "The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States".
Madison's proposal was referred to a committee consisting of one representative from each state. After this, the full House debated the issue and, on August 24, 1789, passed it along with 16 other articles of amendment. The proposals then moved to the Senate, which made 26 alterations. On September 9, 1789, the Senate approved a final package of 12 articles of amendment, which were submitted to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789.
Despite being one of the first proposed amendments, it was not ratified until much later, along with the other first ten amendments, which became the Bill of Rights in 1791. The 27th Amendment was forgotten until 1982, when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper arguing for its ratification. This sparked a movement to curtail political corruption by ratifying the amendment. The amendment was finally ratified in 1992 when enough states ratified it, with Michigan believed to be the 38th state to do so. However, it later emerged that Kentucky had ratified the amendment during its initial month of statehood, making Alabama the 38th and final state needed to ratify the amendment.
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Frequently asked questions
The 27th Amendment was added to the US Constitution on May 7, 1992.
The 27th Amendment, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may take effect only after the next election of the House of Representatives.
The 27th Amendment was one of several proposed amendments to the Constitution that Representative James Madison of Virginia introduced in the House of Representatives on June 8, 1789.
The proposed amendment was designed to prevent corruption in the Legislative Branch, ensuring that none of the Congress members would be paid more in their salaries before being voted out of office.
Four states have not ratified the 27th Amendment: Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania.
