‘Time for Her to Step Down?’ Senate Dems Get Put on the Spot About Dianne Feinstein in 3 Awkward Sunday Show Interviews

Three Senate Democrats were all put on the spot Sunday about whether their 89-year-old colleague, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), should step down following her months-long illness related absence.

In three awkward confrontations on the Sunday shows, the senators were forced to grapple with the question of whether their five-term colleague — who is slated to serve another 21 months — should step aside, given that her absence since mid-February due to a bout with shingles has restricted the Democrats’ ability to confirm judges.

On CNN’s State of the Union, Jake Tapper questioned Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) about her California colleague.

“Her absence is increasingly harming Democrats’ ability to confirm nominees, pass legislation,” Tapper said. “There’s been a lot of talk in the last several years about her awareness, her cognitive abilities. Do you think it’s time for her to step down?”

Gillibrand lauded Feinstein as an “extraordinary senator,” and said she believes she should and will return to the chamber.

“We’re human,” Gillibrand said, “We believe that a senator should be able to make their own judgments about when they’re retiring and when they’re not, and they all deserve a chance to get better and come back to work. Dianne will get better. She will come back to work. And she’s already told Senator [Chuck] Schumer that that he can replace her on the judiciary committee, if it’s urgent for these hearings for judges, she’s a team player, and she’s an extraordinary member of the Senate. It’s her right.”

But the defenses of Feinstein got far more wishy-washy from there. On Meet the Press, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) largely evaded the questions of Chuck Todd.

“Well, I certainly wish Senator Feinstein well, and I’m pleased that she has made the decision to have a fill-in on her seat on the Judiciary Committee,” Baldwin said. “I think that is really an important and responsible thing to do during her absence, because we have President Biden’s nominees waiting for hearings and votes, and we want to keep that moving. But I wish her well and hope she returns to the Senate very soon.”

“Do you think these calls for her to resign are appropriate?” Todd asked.

“Look, it’s up to Dianne Feinstein and her family to decide whether she wants to keep on serving,” Baldwin said.
And she’s had a remarkable record, and I respect that.”

And on ABC’s This Week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) conceded Feinstein’s absence is “going to become an issue.”

“If this goes on month after month after month, then she’s going to have to make a decision with her family and her friends about what her future holds,” Klobuchar said. “Because this isn’t just about California. It’s also about the nation. And we just can’t — with this one vote margin, and expect every other person to be there every single time. So it’s going to become an issue as the months go by.”

Klobuchar did say that she takes Feinstein “at her word” that she will return, but appeared to set a deadline about when, in her view, the California Senator needs to come back.

“Months down the road here, I think you get to that moment of that decision point,” Klobuchar said. “But right now, she says she’s going to return. Let’s make sure that happens. And it sure better happen before the debt ceiling vote.”