Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Archivist to OK Pay Raise Amendment

The archivist of the United States said he will quickly certify as part of the Constitution an amendment banning midterm pay raises for Congress. But the issue is far from being settled. Forty states passed the amendment between 1789 and this week, but congressional leaders said Congress should decide whether a ratification that takes 203 years counts. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Me.) has asked the Senate legal counsel for advice about the issues posed by the unprecedented case. A 1939 Supreme Court decision said amendments must be ratified within a reasonable time, but left it to Congress to decide how much time the states should have.