U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and other Democratic leaders stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during a news conference after their boycott of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S. October 22, 2020.
Ken Cedeno | Reuters
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., faces calls to resign from fellow Democrats in Congress after a lengthy absence from the Senate due to health issues.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., became the first member of Congress to call on Feinstein to resign late Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s time for @SenFeinstein to resign,” he tweeted. “We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people.”
Khanna elaborated in a message to NBC News: “We have a crisis in the judiciary with extremist judges stripping away women’s rights. You can’t preach on television about the danger of these judges and then sit silently as Senator Feinstein misses vote after vote to confirm pro-choice judges.”
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“It’s time for California officials who care deeply about reproductive rights to call on her to step down at this moment in history,” he said.
Concerns are growing that Feinstein’s prolonged absence is hindering Senate Democrats, particularly when it comes to confirming judges, given her pivotal vote on the Judiciary Committee.
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., quickly chimed in to say he agrees with Khanna. “Senator Feinstein is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable,” Phillips tweeted. “But I believe it’s now a dereliction of duty to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet.”
Feinstein, 89, who has not voted in the Senate since Feb. 16, said early March she had been diagnosed with shingles. Her office said it has no update on when she’ll be back.
Feinstein, who was first elected to the Senate in 1992, has said she won’t run for re-election, but she still has 20 months left in her term. Khanna has endorsed Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to replace her.
Lee is competing with other prominent California House Democrats, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter. Lee could be a major beneficiary if Feinstein decides to step aside early, as Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he’ll appoint a Black woman to the seat if Feinstein decides to retire early and creates a vacancy.