SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at the U.S. Capitol.
(Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Facing Pressure to Resign, Feinstein Asks Senate to Replace Her on Judiciary Panel
The California senator's request came as two Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna, urged her to step down "for the good of the people."
Apr 13, 2023
After two fellow Democratic lawmakers urged her to resign, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Wednesday that she has asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move to temporarily replace her on the chamber's judiciary committee, alluding to the impact her absence has had on the panel's ability to advance President Joe Biden's judicial nominees.
"When I was first diagnosed with shingles, I expected to return by the end of the March work period. Unfortunately, my return to Washington has been delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis," Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement, without offering a specific timeline for her return.
But Feinstein, who is 89, signaled that she has no intention of giving up her Senate seat entirely, saying she intends to "return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it's safe for me to travel."
Feinstein announced earlier this year that she is not running for reelection in 2024. She's set to leave office in January 2025.
"In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco," the senator said Wednesday. "I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee, so I've asked Leader Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I'm able to resume my committee work."
"The ruling by an extremist judge in Texas has made it clear that Democrats must act with speed and urgency to confirm judicial nominees who will protect the right to an abortion."
Any effort to replace Feinstein on the judiciary panel, which is currently split 10-10 between Democrats and Republicans, could be run into issues if the GOP—which has worked to obstruct Biden's judicial nominations—refuses to grant unanimous consent.
If Senate Republicans object to a unanimous consent request, 60 votes will be needed to replace Feinstein on the committee.
A spokesperson for Schumer said late Wednesday that he "will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee."
Feinstein's statement came after a pair of Democratic lawmakers—Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)—said the California senator should resign, with Phillips calling it "a dereliction of duty" for her to remain in the Senate.
In a statement to The San Francisco Standard, Khanna said that "the ruling by an extremist judge in Texas has made it clear that Democrats must act with speed and urgency to confirm judicial nominees who will protect the right to an abortion."
"Senator Feinstein is unable to fulfill her duties," said Khanna, "and for the good of the people, she should resign."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
After two fellow Democratic lawmakers urged her to resign, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Wednesday that she has asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move to temporarily replace her on the chamber's judiciary committee, alluding to the impact her absence has had on the panel's ability to advance President Joe Biden's judicial nominees.
"When I was first diagnosed with shingles, I expected to return by the end of the March work period. Unfortunately, my return to Washington has been delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis," Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement, without offering a specific timeline for her return.
But Feinstein, who is 89, signaled that she has no intention of giving up her Senate seat entirely, saying she intends to "return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it's safe for me to travel."
Feinstein announced earlier this year that she is not running for reelection in 2024. She's set to leave office in January 2025.
"In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco," the senator said Wednesday. "I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee, so I've asked Leader Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I'm able to resume my committee work."
"The ruling by an extremist judge in Texas has made it clear that Democrats must act with speed and urgency to confirm judicial nominees who will protect the right to an abortion."
Any effort to replace Feinstein on the judiciary panel, which is currently split 10-10 between Democrats and Republicans, could be run into issues if the GOP—which has worked to obstruct Biden's judicial nominations—refuses to grant unanimous consent.
If Senate Republicans object to a unanimous consent request, 60 votes will be needed to replace Feinstein on the committee.
A spokesperson for Schumer said late Wednesday that he "will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee."
Feinstein's statement came after a pair of Democratic lawmakers—Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)—said the California senator should resign, with Phillips calling it "a dereliction of duty" for her to remain in the Senate.
In a statement to The San Francisco Standard, Khanna said that "the ruling by an extremist judge in Texas has made it clear that Democrats must act with speed and urgency to confirm judicial nominees who will protect the right to an abortion."
"Senator Feinstein is unable to fulfill her duties," said Khanna, "and for the good of the people, she should resign."
From Your Site Articles
- Feinstein Resignation Calls Grow After Manchin Sides With GOP on Pollution Rule ›
- Amid Growing Calls to Resign, Feinstein Heads Back to Capitol Hill ›
Related Articles Around the Web
After two fellow Democratic lawmakers urged her to resign, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Wednesday that she has asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to move to temporarily replace her on the chamber's judiciary committee, alluding to the impact her absence has had on the panel's ability to advance President Joe Biden's judicial nominees.
"When I was first diagnosed with shingles, I expected to return by the end of the March work period. Unfortunately, my return to Washington has been delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis," Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement, without offering a specific timeline for her return.
But Feinstein, who is 89, signaled that she has no intention of giving up her Senate seat entirely, saying she intends to "return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it's safe for me to travel."
Feinstein announced earlier this year that she is not running for reelection in 2024. She's set to leave office in January 2025.
"In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco," the senator said Wednesday. "I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee, so I've asked Leader Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I'm able to resume my committee work."
"The ruling by an extremist judge in Texas has made it clear that Democrats must act with speed and urgency to confirm judicial nominees who will protect the right to an abortion."
Any effort to replace Feinstein on the judiciary panel, which is currently split 10-10 between Democrats and Republicans, could be run into issues if the GOP—which has worked to obstruct Biden's judicial nominations—refuses to grant unanimous consent.
If Senate Republicans object to a unanimous consent request, 60 votes will be needed to replace Feinstein on the committee.
A spokesperson for Schumer said late Wednesday that he "will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee."
Feinstein's statement came after a pair of Democratic lawmakers—Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)—said the California senator should resign, with Phillips calling it "a dereliction of duty" for her to remain in the Senate.
In a statement to The San Francisco Standard, Khanna said that "the ruling by an extremist judge in Texas has made it clear that Democrats must act with speed and urgency to confirm judicial nominees who will protect the right to an abortion."
"Senator Feinstein is unable to fulfill her duties," said Khanna, "and for the good of the people, she should resign."
From Your Site Articles
- Feinstein Resignation Calls Grow After Manchin Sides With GOP on Pollution Rule ›
- Amid Growing Calls to Resign, Feinstein Heads Back to Capitol Hill ›
Related Articles Around the Web
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.