We do not envy Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
California’s longest serving senator and the most senior member of the U.S. Senate planned to finish her term and retire after the 2024 election. But a bad case of shingles has left her sidelined at home in San Francisco since early March, unable to travel to Washington and with no clear indication of when she might improve enough to go back to work.
Her absence wouldn’t be a big deal except that in the closely divided Senate, Feinstein is a crucial Democrat vote, particularly on President Joe Biden’s judicial appointments. A dozen nominees had been awaiting a vote in the Judiciary Committee; seven were approved by the committee on Thursday.
