By MICHAEL R. BLOOD | AP Political Writer
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who has faced calls to resign from fellow Democrats, asked Wednesday to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee while she recovers from illness that has kept her away from Washington for weeks.
Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress at 89, said in a statement that 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 and said she had requested that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer 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 lengthy absence has caused increasing anxiety within her party because it has threatened Democratic efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees for federal courts in a narrowly divided chamber. Her decision to seek a committee stand-in during her recovery came shortly after two House Democrats called on her to resign after her extended absence from Washington.
Feinstein has faced questions in recent years about her cognitive health and memory, though she has defended her effectiveness representing a state that is home to nearly 40 million people.
California Rep. Ro Khanna, one of two Democratic House members who called Wednesday for Feinstein to resign, said in a statement: “This is a moment of crisis for women’s rights and voting rights. It’s unacceptable to have Sen. Feinstein miss vote after vote to confirm judges who will uphold reproductive rights.”
Khanna, a California progressive, wrote on Twitter that Feinstein should step aside. She announced in February that she would not seek reelection in 2024,…
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