Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) decision to not pursue future Senate chairmanship comes shortly after fellow Democrats accused the 87-year-old of going rogue during Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Amy Coney Barret’s confirmation hearing.
Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee for the past four years, revealed on Monday that she will “not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress.”
The 87-year-old Democrat is no stranger to criticism from fellow Democrats over her centrist approach to legislation, but many liberals expressed outrage over Feinstein’s decision to embrace a maskless Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) last month and thank him for leading a fair confirmation hearing for now-SCOTUS Justice Barrett.
NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Ilyse Hogue, whose group opposed Barrett’s appointment, slammed Feinstein for failing to expose the nominee’s confirmation process was “unprecedented, shameful and wrong,” according to The Hill.
Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice, noted that the 87-year-old’s announcement comes as “a necessary step” in a long line of legislative reform.
Despite the recent criticism, Feinstein focused instead on issues she wishes to tackle in the near future.
“California is a huge state confronting two existential threats – wildfire and drought – that are only getting worse with climate change,” she stated.
“In the next Congress, I plan to increase my attention on those two crucial issues. I also believe that defeating COVID-19, combating climate change, and protecting access to health care are critical national priorities that require even more concentration.”
Feinstein has been a member of Congress since 1992 was re-elected to the US Senate in 2018. No term limits exist for the US legislative chambers.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
