If Democrats thought the Republicans would help them solve their Dianne Feinstein dilemma easily, they would be disappointed.
A pair of Republicans who sit on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee have made it clear they will not vote to replace the 89-year-old California Democrat as she has requested because of health problems that have kept her out of Washington for nearly two years. months.
“I do not agree with Chuck Schumer’s plan to replace Senator Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee and fill the court with activist judges. Joe Biden wants the Senate to purge unqualified and controversial judges to fundamentally transform America,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) he posted on Twitter on monday.
Also, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). incentive Republicans over the weekend for “not helping Democrats confirm candidates more radical than Joe Biden.”
Initially, Democrats had hoped to quickly replace Feinistein on the committee through what is known as a unanimous vote in the Senate while he recovers from a bout of shingles. His absence has blocked the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees, which the committee is tasked with drafting, and it is unclear when he will return to the Senate.
However, any Republican senator could oppose a requirement for unanimous consent, as Blackburn and Cotton suggested. That likely means replacing Feinstein on the committee would require bipartisan support — at least 10 Republican votes — and a longer process that would eat up valuable Senate time.
At this point, it’s unclear whether Democrats will try to promote Feinstein’s replacement, given the GOP’s opposition to a quick vote. Of course, if Feinstein can return sooner than expected, the issue would be moot, at least for now.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) told reporters Monday that he had spoken with Feinstein and that “she hopes to be back soon.”
“We think Republicans should allow a temporary replacement until he returns,” Schumer added.
Democrats appear divided over how to handle Feinstein’s absence. Some progressives, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), have called for her to step down before the expected end of 2024 to allow Biden to confirm judicial nominees. The fate of abortion rights and LGBT rights in the federal courts is too important for anyone, they argued.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who also sits on the Judiciary Committee, said Democrats have many crucial votes, including on the debt ceiling, which would require the presence of the California senator.
“If this happens month after month after month, then he’s going to have to make a decision with his family and his friends about his future, because it’s not just about California, it’s about the nation,” Klobuchar told ABC. “This week.”
But other Democratic senators did not support calls for Feinstein to resign.
“The decision of whether someone should resign is up to the individual,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Inside With Jen Psaki.” “I don’t think she should be forced to leave.”
“We believe that a senator should be able to make his own judgments about when he retires,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (DN.Y.) added during an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “In my opinion, he has the right to decide when he resigns.”
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