Public Debt and the War of Opinions on the 14th Amendment Continue

What is the 14th Amendment?

The 14th Amendment, adopted after the great Civil War, conferred citizenship to Black people and guaranteed their rights. But it also contains a less-known provision about public debt, which some in the White House are considering as they try to avoid a government shutdown or financial crisis over the nation’s debt limit.

13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments have always been considered to be very crucial in the United States. The 14th Amendment simplified cases and guaranteed that everyone born in the United States is a citizen of the United States. This is one of the earliest times in American history that a constitutional right was extended to all citizens, regardless of race or birth place.

14th Amendment Significance

Later sections of the amendment addressed civil rights for Black people, how states should apportion representatives to Congress, and punitive measures against the former Confederate States of America. This includes a requirement that any state that had previously supported the rebellious Southern states could not hold civil or military office again unless Congress voted to allow them to do so by a two-thirds majority. It also upheld the national debt and exempted federal and state governments from paying for the former Confederate States’ debts.

But the 14th Amendment’s most enduring legacy may be in its due process clause. This guarantees that people who face a potential penalty or punishment have the opportunity to argue their case before a judge and to be informed of the reason for any decision that is made. This is why 14th Amendment and abortion of it are very sensitive topics.

When was the 14th Amendment passed?

Despite the resistance of some southern states, the amendment quickly passed through Congress and made its way to state ballots for ratification. It was approved by the states in late 1866. This allowed President Johnson to sign the bill into law in January of 1867.

Over the past 150 years, the courts have interpreted many of the amendment’s provisions to protect people’s rights and freedoms. Its Equal Protection Clause has protected a variety of minority groups, including women, children and people with disabilities. Its enumeration clause guarantees that the number of people who can vote in a given election should be proportional to their population, ensuring that each person has an equal impact on the results.

Latest Debates on the 14th Amendment

President Joe Biden on Tuesday shocked many when he said about considering using the 14th Amendment and abortion to end the debt standoff. But he also said that the courts in the state might not agree on this.

On Wednesday, Tribe, President’s former advisor, supported Biden to the idea and added that the anticipated court matter would be baseless.

Although Biden is open to invoking the 14th Amendment to avoid debt default but later cleared that this idea of pursuing it is not an option in the context of the current standoff, he further added that he is looking at the idea after the current standoff is resolved. But Tribe argues that Congress cannot enforce laws directing the administrator to exploit funds and create debt and then also mandate a distinct dollar limit on that spending.

Though Democrats on Capitol Hill are cordial to the idea of the 14th Amendment and abortion, Republicans, scrutinizing the use of the debt limit to pull out cost cutting, oppose the idea