Alabaman Senator Jeff Sessions (R) argued that voter qualification issues fall in the realm of State legislation, and for the Federal government to step in and change national precedent without “serious, in-depth debate” would be a “great disrespect ... to the thousands of State legislators who deal with these issues regularly."

In response, Senator Arlen Specter (R) sought to weaken this argument by reminding his colleagues that the “carefully and narrowly crafted” amendment refers strictly to Federal elections, “leaving the matter of State elections to be determined by the State” (U.S. Senate Congressional Record 2002, S804, emphasis added).