11/05/2023
Sen. Dianne Feinstein flew back to Washington, her spokesman said, after her extended absence due to the shingles virus threatened to derail Senate Democrats' agenda. The senator's absence caused mounting heartburn for the Democratic majority, which has few votes to spare to confirm President Biden's Cabinet and judicial nominees, as well as potential legislation to avert a default on the national debt.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that after talking with Feinstein several times in recent weeks, “it’s clear she’s back where she wants to be and ready to deliver for California...I’m glad that my friend Dianne is back in the Senate and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work,” he added. Feinstein, 89, has contended with questions about her health and ability to serve for several years, and her slow recovery from the shingles virus and related complications led some Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), to call for her resignation.
Feinstein has missed nearly 80 votes this year, according to ProPublica — the most of any senator. Her absence has been keenly felt on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where, without Feinstein, Democrats needed at least one Republican vote to advance Biden's nominations for federal judges. As outcry grew about her absence, Feinstein asked for another Democrat to temporarily be appointed to the panel in her place. Republicans rejected that effort. With Feinstein's return to the Senate, Democrats will have an 11-10 edge on the Judiciary Committee, enabling Biden's nominations to progress to the full Senate without needing a GOP vote. The committee is due to meet to consider nominations to the federal bench.
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✍️: Los Angeles Times
📷️: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
