The 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on May 5, 1992, concluding a legislative journey that began over two centuries earlier.
Originally proposed in 1789 alongside the Bill of Rights, the amendment addresses congressional compensation. It states:
"No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened."
This provision ensures that any changes to congressional pay cannot take effect until after the next election of the House of Representatives. The amendment was designed to prevent sitting legislators from voting themselves immediate pay raises, thereby reducing conflicts of interest.
The ratification process spanned more than two centuries, making it the longest pending amendment in U.S. history. It was finally certified by the Archivist of the United States on May 18, 1992, and became the most recent amendment to the Constitution.
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