What is the 27th Amendment

• Steven Topazio wrote this November 26, 2024 at 6:27 pm

The 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1992, restricts the ability of Congress to give itself a pay raise. The twenty-seventh amendment states that any law changing the compensation for members of Congress cannot take effect until after the next election of Representatives. This means that if Congress votes to increase its salary, the raise won’t apply until after the next election, allowing voters the chance to respond to the decision.

Interestingly, The 27th Amendment was originally proposed in 1789 as part of the original Bill of Rights but was not ratified until over 200 years later, making it the longest ratification process in U.S. history.