Sen. John Fetterman, who has been a source of controversy since he arrived in Washington, D.C. in January, sparked a new tempest of criticism with remarks he made earlier this week regarding the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and the Republican-controlled House.

During a news conference, Fetterman asserted that the 14th Amendment, which was ratified immediately following the Civil War and extended citizenship to former slaves while awarding all Americans “equal protection of the laws,” was primarily intended for debt negotiations.

His remarks came as he and a handful of other far-left Democrats urge President Joe Biden to invoke the amendment to circumvent GOP opposition and pay the nation’s debts, despite the fact that legal and political experts say such a move would fail judicial scrutiny.

“The entire GOP debt ceiling negotiation is a sad charade, and it’s exactly what’s wrong with Washington. We’re playing with fire and the livelihoods of millions just for the GOP to try and turn the screws on hungry Americans,” said a tweet sent by Fetterman’s account on Wednesday. “This is the whole reason why the 14th Amendment exists, and we need to be prepared to use it. We cannot let these reckless Republicans hold the economy hostage.”

The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War. It provided explicit provisions for citizenship and due process to formerly enslaved individuals, and is widely regarded as a crucial civil liberties protection in American history. Fox News reported that the “equal protection” clause of the amendment remains highly significant and is still celebrated, analyzed, and debated by scholars and the general public.

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside,” states Section 1 of the Amendment.

“No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws,” the amendment notes further.

It also adds: “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”

The tweet, however, was met with a fact-check from Twitter regarding the debt clause: “The 14th amendment has to do with citizenship, who could run for office, and invalidating debt incurred by the Confederacy.”

After losing the conflict, the Confederate States of America were dissolved and reabsorbed by the United States.

The tweet by Fetterman and his justification for invoking the 14th Amendment became fodder for social media users.

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

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