When the office of California Senator Diane Feinstein recently reported that the Democratic stalwart and Senate veteran had to be briefly admitted to the hospital after a fall at her home (she has since been released), Democrats in the Senate were left with a very narrow 50-49 majority over their Republican counterparts – underscoring the liberals’ very fragile standing in the Upper House.
But Senator Feinstein’s absence is certainly not her first, and another absence earlier in the year that coincided with that of Senator John Fetterman’s – who then revealed that he checked himself into rehab while dealing with depression and mental health issues – brought the Democrats to an even 49-49 split with the GOP in the Senate.
Filling Feinstein’s Seat
While Senator Fetterman has largely recovered and has even emerged as an advocate for mental health issues, Senator Feinstein’s absences are another matter altogether. The 90-year-old lawmaker has been absent for 91 votes – the most for any senator, and has missed roughly two-thirds of senate roll calls. Before her fall, she was most recently absent over a bout of shingles with complications brought about by a host of other illnesses and health conditions – and was subsequently unable to attend to her duties for roughly four months.
While her office said that the Senator will not be seeking re-election when her term expires in 2025, some Democrats have called on her to resign as soon as possible so California Governor Gavin Newsom can appoint a temporary replacement until California voters elect a permanent successor next year.
California Representative Ro Khanna said, “While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties.” Khanna is supporting another California representative, Barbara Lee, to be tapped to either replace Feinstein in the event of a resignation or run for the latter’s seat in 2025 or both. Another name that’s been floated as a possible replacement is Representative Adam Schiff.
But many other Democrats are seemingly dancing around the issue. Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said recently, “I think she’s been a great colleague for a long time, and I think she’s been very brave about coming in and continuing to work, particularly on the Judiciary Committee,” he said. Never mind that when Feinstein had to step away from her tasks because of shingles, work in the Senate Judicial Committee practically ground to a halt as Republicans made use of their even numbers to delay President Joe Biden’s appointments to the judiciary, and opposed moves to have someone else sit in and vote in Feinstein’s place.
Senator Feinstein’s office has said that the senator is in much better shape, and can now walk around Congress unaided – she was in a wheelchair when she returned to work – Democrats still have to contend with the future possibilities that come with someone who is of advanced age like Feinstein.
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations – covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
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