In a statement posted on Thursday afternoon, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein asserted that the Democrats’ ability to confirm justices to federal courts has not been harmed despite her extended absence from the Senate due to health difficulties.
Feinstein made this assertion in California when she was recovering from a case of shingles. There have been growing calls for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley to step out in recent weeks, as she has come under pressure from both the Democrats and her own party.
The Senate has a history of promptly and easily confirming exceptionally competent candidates to the federal bench. Seven more judge candidates were given the green light this week. Quoted by the press, Feinstein said, “There has been no slowing down.”Wesley Hsu’s appointment to the Central District Court of California is one such occurrence. I’m overjoyed with his appointment to the federal bench, where I’m confident he’ll excel.
Despite the fact that eight of her nominees were approved while she was away, she is dismayed that the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are holding up so many more. The remaining qualified candidates will be hastily rushed out of committee and onto the Senate floor for a vote when I return to the Senate.
As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrats in the Senate sought to rapidly replace Feinstein last month, but Republicans in the Senate prevented them from doing so. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland was nominated to replace Feinstein, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer worked to get unanimous approval for a resolution to confirm him.
She is a close friend, and we hope she recovers quickly so she can get back to work in the Senate. “With all due respect to my colleague, Sen. Schumer,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was quoted as saying on CNN: “this is about a few judges for whom you can’t get the votes.”
Graham said the debate involves potential federal judge candidates from all around the country. More than a hundred new judges had been confirmed by the Senate by the middle of February. Joe Biden has accomplished more in his two years as vice president than his four immediate predecessors did in eight. In her absence, efforts to reform the federal judicial system stalled on Capitol Hill.