Amendment 27 of 27 · 1992
Twenty-seventh Amendment
Congressional pay
The one-line version
If Congress votes to change its own pay, the change cannot start until after the next House election.
The Twenty-seventh Amendment in plain English
No law that changes the pay of senators or representatives can take effect until after the next election for the House of Representatives.
Original text, 1992
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
Phrase by phrase
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives
- A law that changes how much members of Congress are paid
shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened
- cannot start until after a House election has happened.
Picture it
Example. Not legal advice.
Imagine Congress votes to give itself a large raise this year. Under this amendment, the raise cannot start until after the next House election. That gives you, as a voter, a chance to decide whether to reelect the members who voted for it before they receive the money.
Myth check
MythCongress cannot raise its own pay.
FactIt can. The raise just has to wait until after the next House election.
Common questions
What does the 27th Amendment say in simple terms?
If Congress changes its own pay, the change cannot take effect until after the next election for the House of Representatives. That gives voters a chance to respond before the change starts.
Can Congress give itself a raise?
Yes. The 27th Amendment does not ban raises. It only says a pay change cannot start until after the next House election. Voters can decide whether to reelect members before the raise takes effect.
Why did the 27th Amendment take 202 years to ratify?
James Madison proposed it in 1789, but not enough states ratified it then. Congress had set no deadline. In 1982, student Gregory Watson started a campaign to revive it. Enough states approved it by May 7, 1992.
Go deeper
The scene · 1992
James Madison proposed this amendment in 1789 with the Bill of Rights, but not enough states ratified it. In 1982, college student Gregory Watson wrote a paper arguing it could still be ratified, and he got a C. He then spent years writing to state lawmakers. In May 1992, enough states approved it, more than 202 years after it was proposed.
Back then
Madison worried that lawmakers would be tempted to raise their own pay. Making them face voters first was his solution. In the 1980s, public anger at Congress over pay raises helped Watson's campaign succeed.
Words that changed
- “compensation”
ThenPay for work.
NowSame meaning. It includes members' salaries.
- “intervened”
ThenCame in between.
NowToday it usually means to step in. Here it means an election must happen in between.
More history and context
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment has the most unusual history of any amendment. James Madison proposed it in 1789, along with the amendments that became the Bill of Rights. Not enough states ratified it at the time.
In 1982, University of Texas student Gregory Watson wrote a paper arguing that the amendment could still be ratified, because Congress had set no deadline. He got a C on the paper. He then led a campaign to get states to ratify it. Enough states approved it by May 7, 1992, more than 202 years after it was first proposed. No other amendment has taken that long.
The amendment's effect is limited. Congress can still change its own pay. The change just cannot take effect until after the next House election, so voters get a chance to respond first.
Quick check
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