New Constitutional Amendment Certified
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WASHINGTON — The archivist of the United States on Monday quietly certified the Constitution’s 27th Amendment, written by James Madison in 1789 to bar Congress from voting itself instant pay raises.
Don W. Wilson signed the document in his office, and the certified amendment is to be printed in today’s Federal Register.
Wilson’s action came a day before the House is scheduled to debate a resolution asserting the “sense of Congress” that the amendment is legitimate despite the two centuries needed to ratify the measure.
Michigan became the 38th state to ratify the 27th Amendment on May 7. Two additional states ratified later.
Still, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) had two resolutions ready to introduce Tuesday and he said the archivist’s certification “in no way precludes Congress from exercising its proper role in this process.”
One resolution would declare that the 27th Amendment is valid. The second would declare that “out-of-date and inappropriate” amendments sent to the states without ratification deadlines have now expired.
Rep. Ben Erdreich (D-Ala.) said a congressional vote would “remove any doubt or question or argument” about the validity of the 27th Amendment.
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