California Senator Dianne Feinstein promised on Thursday that the judicial nomination process has not be impacted by her more than two-month absence from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The Senate continues to swiftly confirm highly qualified individuals to the federal judiciary, including seven more judicial nominees who were confirmed this week,” read a statement from Feinstein’s office. “There has been no slowdown.”
The 89-year-old lawmaker has been out of office since February 27 while she recovers from shingles. During that time, Feinstein has missed dozens of Senate votes, keeping her fellow Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in limbo while trying to confirm some of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees.
As of Thursday, 31 await confirmation, according to the American Constitution Society. Seven in that pool are sitting tight for a vote from the Judiciary Committee on the Senate floor.
Democrats hold a slight advantage over the GOP on the Judiciary Committee, but without Feinstein’s vote, a 10-10 tie on a nominee is considered a “losing vote,” committee Chairman Dick Durbin previously told CNN.
In her statement Thursday, Feinstein blamed her Republican colleagues for “blocking” judicial nominees in her absence. The California senator had previously requested to be temporarily replaced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on her committee, but was blocked from receiving unanimous support for her request by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.
“While the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced eight strong nominees during my absence, I’m disappointed that Republicans on the committee are blocking a few from moving forward,” read Feinstein’s statement. “I’m confident that when I return to the Senate, we will be able to move the remaining qualified nominees out of committee quickly and to the Senate floor for a vote.”
The three-paragraph statement did not include any insight into when Feinstein will return to Washington, D.C.
Feinstein’s office also attempted to dispel claims that her absence had brought any holdup in the chamber, writing that the Senate had confirmed 21 district and circuit court nominees during her absence.
Several of Feinstein’s Democratic colleagues have called on her to resign from office in the wake of her extended medical absence. Last month, California Representative Ro Khanna said that it was “obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties” in the Senate, and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told CNN that Feinstein’s resignation was “unfortunately something that I think it is appropriate to consider.”
