Professor Jacobson recently reported on the “ageist” and “ableist” calls for California Senator Dianne Feinstein to resign since she is missing so many Senate votes due to illness.
She asked Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to temporarily replace her on the Judiciary Committee.
In a statement, the long-serving Democratic senator said her recovery from a case of shingles she disclosed in early March had been delayed because of complications. She provided no date for her return to the Senate and said she had asked Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to serve in her committee seat until she was able to return.“I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel,” Feinstein said. “In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco.”Feinstein’s decision to seek a committee stand-in during her recovery comes amid increasing anxiety within her party that her lengthy absence has damaged Democratic efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees for federal courts in a narrowly divided chamber.She is the oldest member of Congress, at 89.
The full letter to Schumer was terse and did not address any of the calls for her resignation directly.
Democrats have held only 49 voting members in the Senate – and with the absence of another state senator, recently elected Pennsylvania rep John Fetterman, Feinstein’s vote is particularly pivotal.Fetterman, who was hospitalized for clinical depression, is expected to return to the Senate next week – nearly two months after taking his own leave.’I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee,’ she wrote in the the statement’s final paragraph.’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 official correspondence then finishes abruptly, without any form of signoff or sense of gratitude for her colleagues putting up with her prolonged absence.
Officials are still working out how this committee replacement will occur.
It’s unclear how the mechanics of a temporary replacement on the committee will play out, but a spokesperson for Schumer said he would ask the chamber to do so next week.“Per Sen. Feinstein’s wishes, Majority Leader Schumer will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic Senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee,” the spokesperson said.
Personally, I wish Feinstein a speedy recovery. As a Californian, I can tell you that the next Senator who follows will likely be worse. After all, we replaced Barbara Boxer with Kamala Harris.
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