Ailing, Failing Feinstein To Step Down From Judiciary Amid Calls For Resignation

Under pressure from colleagues as her absence from the Senate impairs the Biden administration’s quest to cram the federal judiciary full of diversity-hire leftist fanatics, Sen. Diane Feinstein late Wednesday announced she will “temporarily” step down from her post on the Judiciary Committee.   

Last month, Feinstein announced she wouldn’t run for re-election in 2024. The 89-year-old hasn’t cast a Senate vote of any kind in two months, as she’s been in her native San Francisco battling a persistent shingles infection. Three people who’ve recently visited her tell Politico that it’s taken a heavy toll on the oldest member of Congress. 

Along with the 8-week absence of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman — while he received inpatient treatment for severe depression — Feinstein’s disappearance from duty has caused headaches for Democrats who only have a 51-49 Senate majority. Vice President Kamala Harris has been called in to cast tiebreaker votes, but some measures lacking unanimous Democratic support have stalled. 

Interesting that they call for Feinstein to resign while pretending Biden and Fetterman know what they had for lunch today.

— Anna James Zeigler (@ajzeigler) April 12, 2023

Feinstein’s empty seat has an even more pronounced impact on the Judiciary Committee, forcing Democrats to forego committee votes on nominees, delaying their progress toward votes of the full Senate. 

“I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee,” said Feinstein in a statement, “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.”

By “important work,” she means advancing underwhelming nominees like Kato Crews, who last month demonstrated an alarming lack of fundamental legal knowledge during a confirmation hearing. 

Earlier on Wednesday, House Democrats Ro Khanna (CA) and Dean Phillips (MN) publicly called for Feinstein to retire altogether. 

“We have a crisis in the judiciary with extremist judges stripping away women’s rights,” Khanna told NBC News. “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.”

I agree with @RoKhanna. Senator Feinstein is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable. 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. https://t.co/lvaHhLJYsi

— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) April 12, 2023

Long before she came down with shingles, Feinstein had already demonstrated a mental incapacity to continue serving — but she did so anyway. Last year, Democrat-catering media outlets — including her hometown San Francisco Chronicle — began publishing articles with troubling accounts from Capitol Hill legislators and staffers.  

In May, The New York Times ran an extensive article titled “As Feinstein Declines, Democrats Struggle to Maintain an Open Secret.” Two pointed takeaways: 

• Ms. Feinstein sometimes struggles to recall the names of colleagues, frequently has little recollection of meetings or telephone conversations, and at times walks around in a state of befuddlement. 
• One Democratic lawmaker who had an extended encounter with Ms. Feinstein in February said…the experience was akin to acting as a caregiver for a person in need of constant assistance. The lawmaker recalled having to reintroduce themself to the senator multiple times, helping her locate her purse repeatedly and answering the same set of basic, small-talk questions over and over again.

Almost fittingly, even the announcement of her retirement seemed to validate accounts of her severe cognitive decline. Just a few hours after her office announced her retirement, reporters asked her about the news. “I haven’t made that decision. I haven’t released anything,” she said.    

If Feinstein were to step down before finishing her term through 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom would install an interim replacement. Representatives Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff have already announced their candidacy for the Democratic nomination, which would make a Newsom choice very impactful.