The 27th Amendment, preventing members of Congress from granting themselves pay raises during the current session, was introduced in 1789 by James Madison, but not ratified until 1992.
Source: Annenberg Classroom
Stories by FactCheck.org
September 16, 2009
Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution allows Congress to determine when and how frequently it will meet. With the passage of the 20th Amendment, new sessions of Congress are required to begin at noon January 3 of each year.
Source: Annenberg Classroom
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Sept. 9 – Sept. 14
This week, readers sent us comments on illegal immigrants and health insurance, medical bankruptcies, and terminology in the abortion debate.
In the FactCheck Mailbag we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.
September 15, 2009
Vermont ratified the Constitution on Jan. 10, 1791, even though it had not yet become a state.
Source: Annenberg Classroom
September 14, 2009
The percentage and number of children (under 18) without health insurance decreased in 2008. Nearly 10 percent (7.3 million) didn’t have coverage that year, compared with 11.0 percent (8.1 million) without coverage in 2007.
Source: Census Bureau
September 13, 2009
The percentage of Americans on government health insurance programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, increased from 27.8 percent in 2007 to 29.0 percent in 2008.
Source: Census Bureau
September 12, 2009
The percentage of Americans with employer-sponsored health coverage declined from 59.3 percent in 2007 to 58.5 percent in 2008.
Source: Census Bureau
September 11, 2009
New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner reported early this year that 2,752 death certificates had been issued for those who died in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
Source: NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner
September 10, 2009
More than half – 55 percent – of 3- and 4-year-olds in the U.S. were enrolled in school, as of October 2007.
Source: Census Bureau
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Sept. 1-Sept. 8
This week, readers sent us comments on Medicare, skepticism and the expansion of FactCheck into other forms of media.
In the FactCheck Mailbag we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.