Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/23pdf/23-719_19m2.pdf
Page Number: 7.0

Cite as:  601 U. S. ____ (2024) 

7 

Per Curiam 

Limits,  Inc.  v.  Thornton,  514  U. S.  779,  803–804  (1995) 
(quoting  1  J.  Story,  Commentaries  on  the  Constitution  of
the United States §627, p. 435 (3d ed. 1858)).  But nothing 
in the Constitution delegates to the States any power to en-
force Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates. 
As  an  initial  matter,  not  even  the  respondents  contend
that the Constitution authorizes States to somehow remove 
sitting federal officeholders who may be violating Section 3. 
Such a power would flout the principle that “the Constitu-
tion  guarantees  ‘the  entire  independence  of  the  General
Government  from  any  control  by  the  respective  States.’ ” 
Trump v. Vance, 591 U. S. 786, 800 (2020) (quoting Farmers 
and Mechanics Sav. Bank of Minneapolis v. Minnesota, 232 
U. S. 516, 521 (1914)).  Indeed, consistent with that princi-
ple,  States  lack  even  the  lesser  powers  to  issue  writs  of
mandamus against federal officials or to grant habeas cor-
pus  relief  to  persons  in  federal  custody.  See  McClung  v. 
Silliman, 6 Wheat. 598, 603–605 (1821); Tarble’s Case, 13 
Wall. 397, 405–410 (1872). 

The respondents nonetheless maintain that  States may 
enforce Section 3 against candidates for federal office.  But 
the text of the Fourteenth Amendment, on its face, does not 
affirmatively  delegate  such  a  power  to  the  States.    The 
terms of the Amendment speak only to enforcement by Con-
gress,  which  enjoys  power  to  enforce  the  Amendment 
through legislation pursuant to Section 5.

This can hardly come as a surprise, given that the sub-
stantive provisions of the Amendment “embody significant 
limitations  on  state  authority.”    Fitzpatrick  v.  Bitzer,  427 
U. S. 445, 456 (1976).  Under the Amendment, States can-
not  abridge  privileges  or  immunities,  deprive  persons  of
life,  liberty,  or  property  without  due  process,  deny  equal
protection, or deny male inhabitants the right to vote (with-
out thereby suffering reduced representation in the House). 
See Amdt. 14, §§1, 2.  On the other hand, the Fourteenth 
Amendment grants new power to Congress to enforce the