After a two-month delay from albatross severing ties in the closely divided Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris was back on Capitol Hill this week to once again take stock of two health-related Democratic absences.

Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), 53, still recovering from a stroke last year, was admitted to Walter Reed

National Army

Medical Center two weeks ago due to clinical depression and possibly absent for weeks.

And Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), 89, who announced last month she would not be running for re-election in 2024, was absent from Washington due to a health issue with no exact return date.

Senator Feinstein is in California this week to address a health issue,” her spokesman said. “She hopes to return to Washington soon.

That

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s meant Harris, as Senate President, had to cut three ties this week on votes related to two judicial nominations, including Araceli Martinez-Olguin as U.S. District

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for the Northern District of California.

(This week also included Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).

For the past two years, the Senate has been divided into 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats (including two independent senators who meet with them). That meant that any absence could change the outcome of a narrow vote. It also meant that Harris was called to break 26 ties, far more than any other vice president in the modern era.

The responsibility often kept Harris tied to Washington, almost unable to travel or sometimes just keeping dinner plans in case the Senate was split on a vote.

In the November midterm elections, the Democrats increased their majority by one vote, giving them a little more breathing room and, in theory, obviating the need to rely equally on Harris.

But the recent absences underline the delicate nature of the Democratic Senate majority.

Since the House moved to Republican control, the Senate has since had less legislation on its to-do list

of the Democratic Party of Democrats

priorities would never get through the other room.

But the upper chamber continues to face closed votes in confirming the Biden administration’s judicial and administrative nominations, including the nomination of former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India and former California labor chief. , Julie Su, as the next American Labor.

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secretary.