Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats on Tuesday to temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee amid a prolonged health absence that has complicated efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial nominations and prompted calls for her resignation.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked for unanimous consent on Tuesday to replace Feinstein on the committee with Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland. But Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, objected.
Without Feinstein, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee don’t have the majority they need to quickly advance judges and face a backlog awaiting votes before the committee.
Confirming Biden’s judicial nominations has become a top priority as Democrats look to keep up with the pace of former President Donald Trump, who stacked federal courts with conservative judges during his time in office. And under divided government, confirming judges is among the few things the upper chamber can accomplish without the support of the Republican-controlled House.
Why do Republicans Oppose Replacing Feinstein on the Committee?
Because replacing Feinstein would enable Democrats to confirm more of Biden’s nominees, Republicans largely oppose the effort. Some have expressed that even her resignation from the upper chamber entirely – which some Democrats have called for in recent days – would not prompt Republicans to help Democrats appoint a new member of their party to the committee because doing so would enable them to confirm more judges.
Why Have Some Democrats Called for Feinstein’s Resignation?
Rep. Ro Khanna of California became the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly call for Feinstein’s resignation last week, saying it had become “obvious” she could no longer fulfill her duties. Other Democrats, including Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, later joined in.
In February, Feinstein – the oldest sitting senator – announced she will not seek reelection in 2024, in a highly anticipated move that was preempted by fellow Democrats eager to get into the race for the coveted California seat she’s held for three decades.
If Feinstein were to resign ahead of 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom would appoint a replacement to fulfill the remainder of her term.
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