WASHINGTON – Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) proposed Thursday that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) may have to resign if she cannot return to Washington in the coming months, not shying away from calling her colleague’s resignation.
“You can’t leave an empty seat for too long,” Klobuchar said when asked about his Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues during an interview with CNN.
“I hope he can [return]. Again, I want to see what happens in the next month or so. You give him time to come back,” the Minnesota Democrat added. “But if he can’t come back every month, with this close Senate [margin], which is not only going to hurt California. This will be a problem for the country.
Feinstein, 89, has been out of the upper room for nearly two months as she recovers from a bout of shingles. It is unclear when he plans to return. A statement Wednesday from the senator cited the “continuing complications” of her diagnosis and asked her to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee until she recovers.
Some House Democrats have called for the California senator to step aside so the party can confirm President Joe Biden’s top nominee. Her absence has stalled committee selection on appeals court nominations, and some Democrats have expressed concern that Feinstein will not return to the Capitol.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) called on the veteran lawmaker to resign on Wednesday, praising his “age of public service” but adding that “it’s clear he can no longer do his job.” Feinstein previously said she would leave Congress at the end of her current term in 2024.
Klobuchar suggested Thursday that Feinstein’s prolonged absence could have bigger consequences for Democrats than just their ability to confirm Biden’s judicial nominee.
“If it goes on and on, then we’re down one vote in the Senate and that’s just a one-vote margin, which is a different issue. I think they have to make a serious decision at that time,” he said on CNN.
Replacing Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee may not be an easy task. Usually, committee assignments are worked out by party leaders at the beginning of each Congress and quickly approved through unanimous consent. However, in this case, any Republican could object to the move on the grounds that they don’t want to make it easier for Democrats to confirm Biden’s nominee. This means it requires bipartisan support.
“You need 60 votes, so we need 10 Republicans to do this, if history is any guide,” Klobuchar said. “I hope he will.”