Dianne Feinstein Is MIA, and Her Absence Is Holding Up Judicial Confirmations

https://jezebel.com ^ | 4/11/2023 | Kylie Cheung

[Enterprise]

At what is clearly a critical time for confirming good federal judges, Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) increasingly prolonged absence from the Senate is apparently holding up the process for a number of President Joe Biden’s judicial picks this year.

Feinstein, who was hospitalized in early March for shingles and has remained in her San Francisco home since March 7, has missed 60 votes of the 82 taken in the Senate in 2023, per the San Francisco Chronicle. And as the Senate, which has been on recess since March 31, prepares to return on April 17, Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said on Monday that Feinstein’s absence from the Senate—and the Judiciary Committee specifically—will impede Democrats’ ability to confirm judicial nominees.

“I can’t consider nominees in these circumstances, because a tie vote is a losing vote in committee,” Durbin told CNN. He continued, “We still have some nominees left on the calendar that we can work on. … But we have more in the wings that we would like to process through the committee.”

Feinstein’s team has been tight-lipped about when, if at all, she’ll return to D.C. Her spokesperson told the Chronicle this week that the 89-year-old “continues to work from home in San Francisco as she recuperates.” Earlier this year, Feinstein announced she won’t seek reelection in 2024 as a handful of Democratic House members vie for her seat. But she intends to serve out the rest of her term, which is set to end in January 2025. That’s close to two years from now, and it’s troubling to consider all the key votes and confirmation processes that could be stalled by Feinstein’s absence—either now or in the future, if she becomes ill again—given Democrats’ razor-thin 51-49 majority.

[Mashood]

She’s probably hanging out with her good friend Chuck Grassley.

[thinden]

Same with the turtle I suspect

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It is kinda strange to see a virtual media blackout out 3 US senators MIA??

Di fi chi spy; chyna mitch & fetterwoman??

[Bonemaker]

Finally the she-monster is doing something positive for the country.

[maddog55]

Maybe she transitioned and is now Fetterman. That would explain a lot.

[pas]

Since they are not nominating any good judges, there is no problem.

[trebb]

Cadavers can be so irresponsible and unreliable when put in vital positions...

I don’t wish anyone the pain of shingles (never experienced it myself - yet) but I can think of those I’d feel sorrier for.

[cuz1961]

She’s probably dead

and they can’t find a passable ugly body double sock puppet fraud to pawn off on America.

[GranTorino]

All connected to china.???

[Wallace T.]

If Feinstein is indeed dead, Governor Newsom would waste little time, after the funeral, to appoint a replacement that would make her seem like Ronald Reagan.