It included provisions to protect men's right to vote while abridging the rights of former Confederates. Section Five of the Fourteenth Amendment vests Congress with the authority to adopt "appropriate" legislation to enforce the other parts of the Amendment.Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits former government officials from holding public office again if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion. The second, third, and fourth sections of the amendment are seldom litigated. The federal lawsuit cites the 14th Amendment, which says anyone who engages in insurrection or rebellion cannot run for office. One of the purposes of the Fourteenth Amendment was to provide federal protection of individual rights against the states. Lawmakers drafted Section 3 of the 14th Amendment as a means to block former Confederate officers who were elected to office. Lawmakers drafted Section 3 of the 14th Amendment as a means to block former Confederate officers who were elected to office. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is one of the nation's most important laws relating to citizenship and civil rights. Virginia said during debates over the 14th Amendment,.