GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that the Republicans will not allow the Democrats to temporarily replace

California

Senator Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee, arguing they only want a stand-in to push through the most partisan judges.

McConnell called the effort to put a replacement on the panel while Feinstein recovers from a case of shingles an extremely unusual request with no known precedent.

Let’s be clear, McConnell said in remarks on the Senate floor. Senate Republicans will not participate in sidelining a temporarily absent colleague from a committee just so Democrats can push through their very worst candidates.

Feinstein, 89, has been absent from the Senate since February, causing headaches for Democrats who hope to use their majority to confirm as many presidential candidates as possible.

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Biden’s judicial nominees possibly. Amid some calls for her resignation, the California senator issued a statement last week asking to be temporarily replaced on the judicial panel. But for that, the Democrats need Republican support, and McConnell made it clear that won’t happen.

Column: Feinstein needs to ask himself some questions

Feinstein’s absence matters to the Democrats because they have a one-seat majority on the committee, so they can only move nominees to the Senate floor who have bipartisan support.

Majority Leader in the Senate

Charles E. Schumer Chuck Schumer, D.N.Y.,

said he will go to the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon and ask for unanimous approval to appoint a temporary deputy. But it will likely be blocked, and it’s unclear whether Democrats would hold a roll call vote knowing it would be rejected.

Schumer

(DN.Y.)

said the replacement for Feinstein would be Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, a lawyer and third-term senator from Maryland. Schumer would not answer questions about whether he thinks Feinstein should consider stepping down, but said he had spoken with Feinstein and that she and I are both very hopeful that she will return soon.

McConnell’s comments came after several Republican senators said Monday they wouldn’t support the Democratic plan, both because they don’t want to help Democrats confirm liberal justices and also because they believe senators shouldn’t try to get one of their own justices out. to push. .

Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Chuck Grassley of Iowa said they believe Democrats are unfairly pressuring Feinstein.

Collins said she and Feinstein are good friends, and she believes there has been a concerted campaign to push her off the Judiciary Committee. I don’t want to be a part of that, Collins said.

Feinstein is under increasing pressure to resign or step down from his position. While she has defended her effectiveness, in recent years she has faced questions about her cognitive health and memory, appearing increasingly frail.

Column: Left-handers have never liked Dianne Feinstein. Now they are trying to hijack a Senate seat

In 2020, she said she would not serve as the top Democrat on the judicial panel after criticism from liberals over her handling of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation. Earlier this year, she said she would not be pro tempore Senate President, or senior member of the majority party, even though she was in line to do so. The president pro tempore opens the Senate daily and performs other ceremonial duties.

Iowa Senator Chuck

Grassley, a longtime member of the panel and the same age as Feinstein, chastised the Democrats for denying Feinstein the chance to become chairman of the committee and trying to force her out of office because she is old.

I don’t intend to give credence to that kind of anti-human treatment, Grassley said.

If Feinstein resigned immediately, the process would be much easier for the Democrats as the governor of California. Gavin Newsom would appoint a replacement. The Senate regularly approves committee assignments for new senators after their predecessors have resigned or died. But a temporary replacement due to illness is a rare, if not unprecedented, request.

Some Democrats have called for their complete resignation. Her statement asking for a temporary replacement came shortly after Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna (D-

California Fremont)

called on her to resign from the Senate and said it is unacceptable that she misses votes to confirm judges who could weigh on abortion rights, a key Democratic priority.

Another member of the California delegation, Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar

(D-Redlands)

said Tuesday that Feinstein is a legend in California politics and a legend in the Senate chamber, but that her vote will be needed as Congress tries to figure out how to raise the debt ceiling this year.

I will say our expectation as House Democrats is that every Senator will have to participate,” he said, adding that “she should be able to choose that timeline.”

When asked if Feinstein should resign, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said Monday that I’m not going to force her to make a different decision. Durbin had previously expressed frustration with his committees’ stalled nominees.

Durbin appealed to his Republican colleagues to show a little kindness and concern for their colleague.

If the Senate votes to replace her on the panel, I believe we can resolve this issue quickly, Durbin said. I hope we can find ten Republicans willing to help us do that.

Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.