Sen. Chris Coons says his mind is open to expanding the Supreme Court

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that he would be open to expanding the Supreme Court if Republicans do not "step back from this precipice" of confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the election.

Why it matters: Coons is one of the more moderate Democrats in the Senate and one of Biden's closest allies. Adding more justices to the court was once considered an extreme policy position on the left, but it has become a more accepted position among Democrats since the Barrett nomination.

What he's saying: Coons told CNN's Jake Tapper that "like Joe Biden," he is "not a fan of expanding the court." But he explained that he felt Barrett was an "extreme, unqualified nominee" that Republicans were rushing to confirm.

• "If we happen to be in the fact pattern where we have a President Biden, we'll have to look at what the right steps are to rebalance our federal judiciary," Coons said.

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