1 hour ago
6
The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Sen. Raphael Warnock, Democrat of Georgia, that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected May 3, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Last week, successful a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a 2022 Louisiana legislature representation that had been gerrymandered to make a 2nd majority-Black district. The 3 wide justices dissented, saying the ruling would quote, "eviscerate" a conception of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, portion conservatives successful the bulk said the determination "updated" its ineligible framework. Reverend Raphael Warnock, antiauthoritarian legislator from the authorities of Georgia, joins america this greeting from Atlanta. Welcome backmost to the program.
SEN. REV. RAPHAEL WARNOCK: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So our CBS News ineligible expert described this determination arsenic narrowing the exertion of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Effectively, it means it's present going to beryllium harder to bring immoderate lawsuits claiming that gerrymandering discriminates on radical lines unless determination is impervious of that intent. Why bash you telephone that a decision for American democracy?
SEN. WARNOCK: Margaret, let's beryllium clear, what happened this week is thing little than a monolithic and devastating blow, not lone to our democracy, but peculiarly to radical of colour successful the South. This question astir intent is connected its head, misleading, and it ignores our history. We had 100 years aft the 15th Amendment was passed, which, connected paper, gave Black radical the close to vote, but with supposedly oregon putatively contention neutral methods. For 100 years, the close to ballot was denied. But successful much caller history, the Supreme Court, this aforesaid blimpish Supreme Court, hobbled Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act successful 2013 with Shelby v. Holder. Since then, we've seen the radical turnout spread get wider and wider, not smaller, and it has grown doubly arsenic accelerated successful the states that utilized to beryllium nether Section 5. We volition spot a devastating interaction arsenic a effect of this, and now, much than ever, we've got to basal up and combat for our democracy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But arsenic you conscionable said, the Voting Rights Act has been, you know, weighed by the tribunal aggregate times, including backmost successful 2013 but erstwhile it was primitively written, determination were things successful spot that- that don't beryllium now, right? There was, determination was a canvass taxation successful confederate states. The instrumentality required 9 of those states to spell get national support oregon pre-clearance earlier they changed their ain voting rules. Congress successful the 80s updated this law. Are you of the sentiment that the instrumentality needs to basal arsenic it was primitively written, oregon does Congress present request to bash immoderate enactment to update it?
SEN. WARNOCK: Listen, I- I cognize that determination are those who are bushed of the remedy. I'm bushed of racism. I deliberation it's a unusual presumption to beryllium much acrophobic astir the medicine than you are astir the malady. In- successful that caller history, Roberts wrote successful 2013 erstwhile they gutted Section 5, that- that this radical turnout spread had- had gone away. And Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she said, look, getting escaped of the protections of the Voting Rights law, successful this moment, it's similar getting escaped of your umbrella successful the midst of a rainstorm due to the fact that you're not getting wet. And since then, again, since then- everybody's entitled to their ain opinions, you're not entitled to your ain facts. Since then, the radical elector turnout has grown larger and doubly arsenic larger- doubly arsenic ample successful the states that were nether Section 5, and that- there's a crushed for that, Margaret. Since they removed the protections of Section 5, states that utilized to play aged games, they're playing- they're playing caller games. They're 21st Century Jim Crow tactics successful caller clothes, moving elector polls, closing polls successful Black and Brown communities. The information shows that achromatic and brownish radical walk overmuch longer clip successful longer lines, purging people- radical virtually showing up and not knowing that their names person been purged from the rolls. And the information shows that this disproportionately impacts achromatic and brownish citizens. And now--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --So--
SEN. WARNOCK:--as a effect of the determination this week. They're saying that adjacent erstwhile you amusement up, we have- we person fixed the greenish airy truthful that politicians tin play games with the lines, truthful that adjacent erstwhile you flooded those barriers and amusement up–
MARGARET BRENNAN: --Yeah--
SEN. WARNOCK: --your voices volition beryllium muted.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, it sounds similar you privation to spell backmost to the missive of the instrumentality from 1965, you privation Congress to, erstwhile again, reinstitute preclearance for these confederate states. That's what I conscionable heard you laic out.
SEN. WARNOCK: Yeah, that was absolutely--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay--
SEN. WARNOCK: --absolutely.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Alright, truthful when- I privation to constituent thing retired to you, which is that the existent Congress, statistically, successful 2025 has a grounds precocious number, 66 Black members, according to Pew Research, including 5 Republi- Republicans, that's the astir to ever service successful Congress. People volition look astatine that and say, we are successful a antithetic state than we were, as- arsenic Roberts erstwhile argued, arsenic you conscionable pointed out. Now that we are successful this redistricting arms contention that some parties are playing with here, bash you deliberation that volition wounded Black representation?
SEN. WARNOCK: I deliberation that the tribunal sadly poured substance connected this redistricting arms race. The solution to this really--
MARGARET BRENNAN: To beryllium clear, you–
SEN. WARNOCK: --in my opinion--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --support redistricting that your enactment is carrying out.
SEN. WARNOCK: I- I bash due to the fact that Donald Trump, who is amended astatine dividing america than anybody I know, instituted an arms contention successful redistricting, but I really hatred partisan gerrymandering. I- I don't similar gerrymandering, but we could not unilaterally disarm. He's the 1 who called Texas and said, literally, springiness maine six much seats. And so, California and different states had to respond, Virginia successful kind. But the solution to this truly is to prohibition partisan gerrymandering. Gerrymandering turns our elections connected its head, truthful that alternatively than the radical picking their politicians–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right--
SEN. WARNOCK: --or their nationalist servants, the politicians are picking their voters.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right exactly, which is wherefore I'm asking you however you could enactment it. But I recognize you're saying the discourse of the infinitesimal is an emergency. Let maine inquire you--
SEN. WARNOCK: Well, we could- I person a measure though, Margaret, I person a bill.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I saw that bill, yes.
SEN. WARNOCK: --right present that would get that would get escaped of partisan gerrymandering, and truthful far, I've had nary Republican takers.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, arsenic we conscionable said, your enactment is supporting the partisan redistricting successful places similar California and Virginia arsenic well. Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida said Democrats bash not attraction astir Black representation. They lone attraction astir Democrat representation. Here's what Congressman Wesley Hunt of Texas said erstwhile helium was asked astir the determination of the 4 Black Republicans to permission Congress
[REP. WESLEY HUNT SOT STARTS]
REP. WESLEY HUNT: I correspond a achromatic bulk territory that President Trump would person won by implicit 20 points, and I won by 25 points the past clip I ran. I'm being judged not by the colour of my skin, but by the contented of my character. I don't attraction however galore Black radical are here. I privation the astir qualified radical that are here.
[REP. WESLEY HUNT SOT ENDS ]
MARGARET BRENNAN: So what bash you marque of the statement that you conscionable heard determination from Congressman Hunt.
SEN. WARNOCK: He doesn't recognize American history. No one- he's quoting the words of Dr King. No 1 was much committed to a state that embraces each of america than Dr. King. But Dr King, looking astatine that reality, is the 1 who is the motivation powerfulness down the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Our covenant arsenic an American radical is E pluribus unum, retired of galore one. And truthful this conception that practice does not substance ignores history, it ignores the facts, is uninformed. Representation does matter. When I- erstwhile I spell to the Senate, each week, I bring my communicative and my acquisition arsenic a Black kid who grew up successful nationalist lodging successful Savannah, and truthful does that achromatic kid who grew up in- successful Appalachia. She brings her acquisition too. And truthful when- erstwhile we make an expanding monolith, which is what I deliberation is going to hap arsenic a effect of these- this determination this week, we wounded the ideology itself, and we marque it harder to get astatine a policy- policies that clasp each of our children and springiness each kid a chance.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator, convey you for your clip this morning. And I bash privation to note, since that Supreme Court decision, the governor's Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee person each indicated involvement successful redrawing legislature maps.
SEN. WARNOCK: Yep. And we tin extremity this close present by passing my bill.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Senator, we'll permission it there. We'll beryllium close back.
English (US) ·