Republicans on Judiciary Committee Playing Hardball Over Replacing an Absent Dianne Feinstein

PJ Media ^ | 04/18/2023 | Stephen Kruiser

[SeekAndFind]

The continued — an increasingly curious — absence of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) from her duties in the upper chamber of Congress is becoming a growing thorn in the sides of the Democrats. Feinstein is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and her prolonged recovery from shingles has ground to a halt the Democrats’ ability to further pollute the judicial system with activist judges who have been nominated by Joe Biden’s puppeteers.

Over the weekend, Matt wrote a VIP column about Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asserting that the Republicans on the committee not let Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) get away with temporarily replacing Feinstein in order to proceed with the commiefication of the judiciary.

In a refreshing show of unity, Republican senators from various points along the GOP ideological spectrum are agreeing with Cotton. One of the first was conservative Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.):

I will not go along with Chuck Schumer’s plan to replace Senator Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee and pack the court with activist judges. Joe Biden wants the Senate to rubber stamp his unqualified and controversial judges to radically transform America.

— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 17, 2023

Schumer is going to need some Republican defectors to make this work, which is why it was encouraging to see Judiciary Committee members Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) join Cotton and Blackburn in saying that they won’t go along with the Dems’ end-around.

The Washington Post:

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who has worked with Democratic senators to pass gun reforms and other bipartisan legislation, announced he would not back replacing her.

“I deeply respect Senator Feinstein, but this is an unprecedented request solely intended to appease those pushing for radical, activist judges,” Tillis wrote on Twitter.

[SeekAndFind]

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) on the Senate floor made a similar case, saying, “Never, not once have we allowed temporary substitutes on committees and now is not the time to start.” He added that he hopes Feinstein recovers and comes back soon, but “Republicans are not going to … bail out Sen. Schumer or the Biden administration’s most controversial nominees.”

[drSteve78]

Some few found stones. Long term effects from short term actions.

[cport]

We’ll see. I fear this is the first step in getting some kind of concession for GOP, ala Manchin.

[FlingWingFlyer]

It’s weird how the Dung Beetle Party kept Ruth Buzzi Ginsburg on life support for years but want Feinstein tossed out on her ass. I wonder what Feinstein did to bring down the wrath of the Dung Beetle Party on herself.

[wny]

give it time.....they will cave.

it’s what they do.

[faucetman]

“...her prolonged recovery from shingles...”

her prolonged recovery from dementia. (of course there is NO RECOVERY!)

[FlingWingFlyer]

The RATs don’t seem concerned about wheeling Fetterman into the Senate every day on a gurney. Probably because he’s a man and Feinstein is an old lady.

[ridesthemiles]

I had Shingles-—and recovered without ANY hospitalization.

Only took L-Lysine to stop the nerve pain.

$5.40 for a bottle of 250 at Wal-Mart.

[Openurmind]

Good, good, good... Hold the line. Make Feinstein call it quits.

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

It’s weird how the Dung Beetle Party kept Ruth Buzzi Ginsburg on life support for years but want Feinstein tossed out on her ass. I wonder what Feinstein did to bring down the wrath of the Dung Beetle Party on herself.

I think it's because of Ginsberg that the Democrats have no more patience with the old, sickly dinosaurs they keep electing.

[gibsonguy]

Yeah the shingles story doesn’t really add up. I sure get sick of all the lies.

[Roadrunner383]

Without unanimous consent, it will take 60 votes in the Senate to replace Feinstein on the Committee. Repulicans are saying the way Dems want to do it, has never been done before. Dems are glossing over the unusual procedure and saying “it’s only fair”. I hope Republicans hold firm and we get to see Dems crying bitter tears.

[newzjunkey]

Feinstein was often attacked from the Left in California. She was smeared as too Republican when she was rather moderate in her voting record. This was back in the day when radical Barbara Boxer was other Senator.

[Bob434]

Republicans playing hardball? Or did they mean wiffleball?

[BigFreakinToad]

I always get slightly ill when some republican twit spews something like “deep respect” or “my good friend” for a Democrat. Frankenstein is a POS.

[GMThrust]

The fact that she hasn’t resigned should be a bat signal to everyone. The desire for influence, money and power, proves there is no dedication to the people she “represents” or even her party. Evil has no age limit.

[Openurmind]

“The fact that she hasn’t resigned should be a bat signal to everyone.”

Yep, absolutely. We are close to a “week end at Bernie’s” situation here and they want their cake and eat it too. Nope... Time to call their cards and force them to fold.

[Vaduz]

“Never, not once have we allowed temporary substitutes on committees and now is not the time to start.”

Amen the democrats always bend twist and burn the rules time to stop the dead in their tracks.

aka damage control

[Political Junkie Too]

That is the way.

-PJ

[Phlyer]

I wonder what Feinstein did to bring down the wrath of the Dung Beetle Party on herself.

Different situation. Ginsburg, while frail, was still providing input - and of course it was the input they wanted.

The Senate Judiciary Committee - in the absence of Feinstein - is evenly divided, which means that nominees cannot get out of committee unless she votes. So they want to replace her on the committee with someone who can actually vote.