CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Chris Coons

Interview

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COOPER: Ryan Nobles, appreciate it. Let's get perspective now from Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. I spoke to him just before airtime.

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COOPER: Senator Coons, is it clear to you why Senator Manchin waited so long to put forward his version of an acceptable voting rights bill? I mean, if he had done that sooner, do you think you could have actually gotten some Republicans on board?

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Well, I don't know if there's anything we can do to get Republicans on board with protecting access to the ballot with voting rights. But I'll remind you, Anderson, that the restrictive laws that are being passed now in states across the country, states like Georgia and Arizona, they are trying to do it in Texas -- they hurt voters, both Republicans and Democrats alike.

They make it harder to access the ballot box. They make it harder to vote under conditions, not just like the pandemic, but in ordinary times. So, the kinds of reforms that the For the People Act would have put in place would have guaranteed better and broader access to the right to vote for Americans of all backgrounds in both parties.

I think if Joe Manchin had come forward with a clear proposal earlier, we might have sharpened the focus today, but the outcome still would have likely been the same, 50 Democrats supporting moving ahead with it, 50 Republicans opposed.

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COOPER: So, what happens now? I mean, if there's no chance really of getting Republicans on board and you know, Manchin and Sinema have said they will not support eliminating the filibuster, is this just no longer -- and it is just dead?

COONS: Well, Anderson, the Rules Committee, which has responsibility for elections is going to have a series of hearings, both about the laws that are being passed around the country and about the provisions that could be included if this is taken up again.

A number of us are going to reach out to Republicans and see if there is any path forward. But frankly, given the facts, as you just stated them, Anderson, I am gravely concerned that this will be a greenlight to Republicans, particularly in state legislators around the country to move ahead with more steps they will restrict the right to vote.

COOPER: And there's nothing Democrats in Congress can do about it, you're saying.

COONS: Well, unless we change the filibuster, and we've got at least two members who are publicly saying they won't do that. Having this vote today was an important part of having a discussion in our caucus about whether or not we're willing to change that position, and instead move forward with just 51 votes for something as important as protecting access to the right to vote.

COOPER: But you have no confidence that this will move them.

COONS: I don't know that yet, Anderson. We're having robust debates within our caucus about that. There is right now, an ongoing effort, and bipartisan progress on infrastructure, on policing reform. But on this issue, on voting rights, there is a very clear 50/50 split between Democrats and Republicans in the Congress.

And because the right to vote is so foundational, so defining of our democracy, I remain hopeful that we may get persuade folks to change position.

COOPER: The Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, when asked about the so-called audit that's been going on of 2020 election ballots in Arizona, which is really not a legitimate audit at all said today, he is okay with states sorting this stuff out and there's no role for Congress in election laws. What -- are you okay with that?

COONS; Well, Anderson, the audit in Arizona is searching for some shred of evidence of voter fraud or of vote irregularities. President Biden won Maricopa County by 45,000 votes, and after months and months of effort and several attempts at this audit, no significant evidence has come forward.

I do think it's important that we take action federally, to ensure that the guardrails of our elections are strong. I think we should look back at the 2020 election and be improving access to the ballot and the ability of states to ensure that the will of the electorate is respected, rather than some of the steps that are being taken as in Arizona to re-re-re-litigate through an audit the election of 2020.

COOPER: There's a lot of Democrats who see what happened today on voting rights and are obviously very upset. Earlier today, progressive Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York said that President Biden needs to be more vocal, a lot more vocal, and out front on voting rights. You're obviously one of the President's closest allies in the Senate. Was he involved enough in these negotiations? Is there something more he can do?

COONS: Look, President Biden has been clear, has been forceful and has been engaged about the importance of protecting the right to vote. Vice President Harris and President Biden have spoken to senator, have spoken out publicly, have used their bully pulpit and social media, in person, and on camera. But I do think there's more work for all of us to do.

If it's going to be harder for us to win elections going forward, then we're simply going to have to work harder to demonstrate that we're delivering results for the American people and to take the fight to state legislatures around the country, and to try and persuade folks, both in our caucus and nationally that the right to vote is too precious a thing to allow it to be taken away by state legislatures around the country.

COOPER: Senator Chris Coons, I appreciate your time. Thanks. COONS: Thank you, Anderson.

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