Senator Amy Klobuchar and several other Democrats are becoming increasingly concerned with the indefinite absence of Senator Dianne Feinstein. The 89-year-old Senator has said that she will retire in 2024 after completing her current term. However, she has already taken an indefinite absence from her work on Capitol Hill as she recovers from Shingles. Her time away from office has led Klobuchar to say that Feinstein’s indefinite absence will “become an issue as the months go by.”
“If this goes on month after month after month, then she’s gonna have to make a decision with her family and her friends about what her future holds, because this isn’t just about California; it’s also about the nation…So it’s going to become an issue as the months go by. But I’m taking her at her word that she’s going to return,” Klobuchar said during a recent episode of This Week.
Reps. Ro Khanna and Dean Phillips have taken their criticisms a step further and called for the California lawmaker to resign.
“Senator Feinstein is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable. But I believe it’s now a dereliction of duty to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet,” Phillips said.
However, Rep. Nancy Pelosi has pushed back on her colleagues’ comments. Feinstein’s fellow California lawmaker says that the amount of criticism hurled at Feinstein may have more to do with her gender than her absence.
“It’s interesting to me. I don’t know what political agendas are at work that are going after Sen. Feinstein in that way. I’ve never seen them go after a man who was sick in the Senate in that way,” Pelosi said.
For the time being, Feintstein has asked that a replacement be appointed in her absence until she recovers.
“I serve on that committee, and we cannot advance judges or legislation with a missing person, because of the close votes,” Klobuchar said.
“When you look at the history, people have returned to the Senate when they’re sick. She said she has shingles. She has had shingles. And so, months down the road here, I think you get to that moment of that decision point. But right now, she says she’s going to return. Let’s make sure that happens. And it sure better happen before the debt ceiling vote.”
