Know Your Constitution: Amendment of the Week

This week, we are reviewing Sections 4 and 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment.

What it says:

Section 4 says the public debt of the United States must be honored. It also says the country would not pay debts connected to rebellion, insurrection, or claims related to the end of slavery.

Section 5 gives Congress the power to pass laws that enforce the Fourteenth Amendment.

Why it matters:

These sections helped the country move forward after the Civil War. They made clear that the United States would protect lawful public debt, reject debts tied to rebellion, and give Congress the power to help protect the rights promised in the Fourteenth Amendment.