Weeks after U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced she had been diagnosed with shingles, her extended absence from the Senate has left Democrats in a tight spot given the party’s slim majority in the chamber, spurring some high-profile calls for her resignation.
Without Feinstein, who at 89 is the oldest sitting senator, the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s judicial and administrative nominees has been complicated.
Late Wednesday, Feinstein’s office released a statement acknowledging the delays at the Judiciary Committee and announcing that she has asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I’m able to resume my committee work.”
