Two House Democrats have called for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to resign from office, citing concerns over her health and ability to perform her duties.
Now do Biden.
House Democrats call for Feinstein to resign | The Hill https://t.co/JQ2Wv8EFWu
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 12, 2023
“It’s time for [Feinstein] to resign. 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,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) wrote.
In a message to NBC News, Khanna argued that Feinstein should step down for missing votes on the Senate floor.
“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,” Khanna said.
“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 added.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) agreed with Khanna’s tweet, calling Feinstein a “remarkable American.”
Former Obama administration staffer Jon Lovett also called for Feinstein’s resignation, arguing she should not be in the Senate due to her health problems, and noted her absence was delaying President Joe Biden’s judicial nominations.
Feinstein has been in and out of the Senate since contracting shingles in March 2023. Since her absence from the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Democrats’ 10-9 majority decreased to a 9-9 tie with Republicans.
Feinstein recently announced her plans to return to Washington D.C. when it is safe for her to do so, saying her return got delayed due to complications regarding her shingles diagnosis.
She said she remains committed to her job and will continue working from home, adding that she asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to temporarily replace her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee with another Democrat.
A spokesperson for Schumer agreed with Feinstein, saying, “Per Sen. Feinstein’s wishes, Majority Leader Schumer will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democrat Senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee.”
Feinstein, 89, turns 90 years old in June. In February 2023, she announced she won’t seek re-election in 2024.
Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced their bids for Feinstein’s Senate seat. Khanna endorsed Lee.
