(C) Common Dreams
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The Democrats (Still) Have a Dianne Feinstein Problem [1]

['Alex Shephard', 'Matt Ford', 'Walter Shapiro', 'Grace Segers', 'Timothy Noah', 'Melissa Gira Grant']

Date: 2023-04-11

Even though a divided Congress means that Democrats cannot reasonably be expected to accomplish very much in 2023 or 2024, Feinstein nevertheless occupies a crucial role in the chamber. The Democrats, who have 48 senators and three independents (Bernie Sanders, Angus King, and Kyrsten Sinema), have a narrow one-seat majority. Given the general lack of reliability of two of those senators—Sinema and West Virginia coal baron Joe Manchin—every seat is crucial. With her seniority entitling her to seats on both the Judiciary and Appropriations committees, she has an outsize importance within the party, as well as, unintentionally, the Senate itself: Her absence is keeping Democrats from getting things done. While she may return, the angst over her declining health will remain; it is not unreasonable to expect she will miss time in the future.



Feinstein has already announced her retirement from the Senate, but that will not go into effect until the end of her term in January 2025. That’s simply too much time to risk a limited-though-important Senate agenda. If Feinstein were to resign right this very moment, California Governor Gavin Newsom could appoint her replacement, just as he did when he made Alex Padilla the state’s junior senator in 2020 after Kamala Harris became vice president. This would undoubtedly be complicated politically: There are several California Democrats already vying to take her seat, including Adam Schiff and Katie Porter. Depending on who Newsom selects, he might be putting his thumb on the scale in a future Senate primary. Still, so be it: That’s Newsom’s decision to make, and it’s a challenge for the next would-be senator to overcome. The Democrats have more pressing problems, and Dianne Feinstein is proving to be an impediment to their resolution. They should thank her for her service to her country, usher her toward the door, and get back to work.

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[1] Url: https://newrepublic.com/article/171795/democrats-diane-feinstein-problem-judges

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