The last truly significant amendment — the 26th, which lowered the voting age to 18 — belonged to another era, in 1971, when Richard Nixon was president. It looked to be sailing to ratification, for which the Constitution requires approval by three-quarters of the states. in 1972, it included a ratification deadline, providing that the amendment would be part of the Constitution “when ratified within seven years” — that is, 1979. What Article V of the Constitution does say is that Congress is in charge of proposing amendments that it deems necessary. If the deadline power belongs to Congress, shouldn’t the power to change any deadlines it imposes — as well as the power to refuse to recognize rescissions — also lie with Congress?

---