Last week, California Senator Dianne Feinstein responded to the calls for her to resign her seat by insisting that her current absence has not slowed down President Biden’s judicial nominees, NBC News reported.
In a statement released on Thursday, Feinstein argued that despite her prolonged absence as she recovers from shingles, the Senate has continued to “swiftly confirm” the president’s nominees, including the seven who were confirmed last week. She insisted that there is “no slowdown” in the process due to her absence.
While she offered no hint as to when she expected to return to the Senate, Feinstein said she was “confident” that upon her return, the Judiciary Committee will move the rest of the president’s nominees to the full Senate for a vote.
Democrats in Congress have begun demanding that the 89-year-old Feinstein retire after she has remained absent from the Senate since early March when she was hospitalized for shingles. She was later released from the hospital and returned home while she was undergoing treatment.
Last month, Feinstein extended her recovery and asked that the Senate approve a temporary replacement for her on the Judiciary Committee but Republicans blocked the move.
The California senator, the longest-serving member of the Senate, has not cast a vote since February 16.
When asked when Senator Feinstein planned to return to Washington, spokesman Adam Russell said the date of her return is contingent on when her doctors clear her to fly, which has not happened as yet.
Feinstein, who announced earlier this year that she would not be seeking reelection in 2024, has signaled her intention to remain in office until the end of her current term.
In her Thursday statement, Feinstein also expressed disappointment with Republican Judiciary Committee members for blocking some of Biden’s more radical nominees from moving forward.
