On the mend: Sen. Dianne Feinstein returns to Washington
SAN FRANCISCO -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been away from the Senate since February while recovering from shingles, will return to Washington on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson.
She has been recovering at her home in San Francisco.
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Feinstein said in April that her return to Washington had been "delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis" but said she planned to return to the Senate "as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it's safe for me to travel."
During her absence, the 89-year-old senator faced pressure to return to Washington and calls from several House Democrats to resign. Feinstein sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and without her vote on the panel, Democrats said that they would have to delay some of President Biden's key judicial nominees.
In April, Bay Area Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna became the first member of Congress to call on Feinstein to resign. On Tuesday, Khanna issued a statement saying, "I am very glad that Senator Feinstein is feeling better and hopeful that she will be able to fulfill her duties upon her return. The people of California deserve strong representation and a Senator who can vote to advance President Biden's judicial nominees and protect Americans' fundamental rights. The three month absence hurt our agenda, and time will tell on the future."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was also among the prominent Democrats who said she believes Feinstein "should retire." The New York Democrat posted on the social media platform Bluesky, "Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary."
During her absence, Feinstein pushed back on the criticism, arguing that there had not been a significant delay in advancing and confirming judicial nominees.
In April, the California senator asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to temporarily replace her on the Judiciary Committee, and he proposed that Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin take her spot. But Senate Republicans blocked the effort, saying the move would allow judicial nominees they opposed to advance.
The committee's top GOP member, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, said at the time, "She's a dear friend, and we hope for her speedy recovery and return back to the Senate. (But) with all due respect, my colleague, Senator Schumer, this is about a handful of judges that you can't get the votes for."
During her absence, several of her Republican colleagues accused Democrats of trying to force her into retirement. "They should leave her alone. She's sick. She needs to get well so she can get back to work," Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is also 89, said. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy told reporters that "the people that are trying to shove her out the door after her years of service ought to hide their heads in a bag. She's being treated very shabbily and that really disappoints me."
Feinstein announced earlier this year that she will not run for reelection in 2024. A number of Democrats, including Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee have already announced they will run for the open seat in what is shaping up to be a competitive Democratic primary.
