not exceed 80% of their final salary. In 2018, the average annual pension for retired senators and representatives under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) was $75,528, while those who retired under FERS, or in combination with CSRS, was $41,208. Members of Congress make fact-finding missions to learn about other countries and stay informed, but these outings can cause controversy if the trip is deemed excessive or unconnected with the task of governing. For example, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2009 that lawmaker trips abroad at taxpayer expense had included spas, $300-per-night extra unused rooms, and shopping excursions. Lawmakers respond that "traveling with spouses compensates for being away from them a lot in Washington" and justify the trips as a way to meet officials in other nations. By the Twenty-seventh Amendment, changes to Congressional pay may not take effect before the next election to the House of the Representatives. In Boehner v. Anderson, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the amendment does not affect cost-of-living adjustments. The Supreme Court of the United States has not ruled on this yet. See also Caucuses of the United States Congress Congressional Archives Current members of the United States House of Representatives Current members of the United States Senate List of United States Congresses Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Term limits in the United States United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction United States Congressional Baseball Game United States Congressional hearing United States presidents and control of Congress Notes Citations References (Legislative procedure, informal practices, and other information) Further reading Baker, Ross K. (2000). House and Senate, 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton. (Procedural, historical, and other information about both houses) Barone, Michael and Richard E. Cohen. The Almanac of American Politics, 2006 (2005), elaborate detail on every district and member; 1920 pages Berg-Andersson, Richard E. (2001). Explanation of the types of Sessions of Congress (Term of Congress) Berman, Daniel M. (1964). In Congress Assembled: The Legislative Process in the National Government. London: The Macmillan Company. (Legislative procedure) Bianco, William T. (2000) Congress on Display, Congress at Work, University of Michigan Press. Hamilton, Lee H. (2004) How Congress Works and Why You Should Care, Indiana University Press. Imbornoni, Ann-Marie, David Johnson, and Elissa Haney. (2005). "Famous Firsts by American Women". Infoplease. Lee, Frances and Bruce Oppenheimer. (1999). Sizing Up the Senate: The