Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has riled up the political Left with her demeanor in the hearings to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and now at least two Democratic groups have called for action to be taken against the senator for it.
“It’s time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice and the former national press secretary to the 2016 Clinton campaign, said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “If she won’t, her colleagues need to intervene.”
“She has undercut Democrats’ position at every step of this process, from undermining calls for filibuster and Court reform straight through to thanking Republicans for the most egregious partisan power grab in the modern history of the Supreme Court. If Senate Democrats are going to get their act together on the courts going forward, they cannot be led by someone who treats Sunrise activists with contempt and the Republican theft of a Supreme Court seat with kid gloves,” said Fallon.
Inbox: @WeDemandJustice calls for the removal of @SenFeinstein as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. pic.twitter.com/O5sSl7Ejwx
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 15, 2020
MoveOn, the progressive public policy group, accused Feinstein of getting “cozied up” with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, instead of sufficiently fighting against Barrett’s nomination.
“This was a moment for all Democrats to fight and instead [Senator Feinstein] cozied up with Lindsey Graham & undermined her own Democratic colleagues. She needs to step down from her role on the Judiciary Committee now. We need fierce leadership for the fights ahead,” said the organization on Twitter.
Feinstein, who has reportedly been the subject of anonymous attacks by other Senate Democrats in recent weeks, drew the ire of the Left for thanking Senator Graham, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the end of the hearing on Thursday for how he ran the entire process. In a video of the remarks, Feinstein can be heard telling Graham the hearings were some of the “best senate hearings that I’ve participated in.”
SEN. FEINSTEIN: Mr. Chairman Graham, I just want to thank you. This has been one of the best Senate hearings I have participated in. Thank you for your fairness and opportunity of going back and worth. It leaves one with a lot of hopes. pic.twitter.com/ZjcrNXCtyE
— Senate Republican Communications Center (@SRCC) October 15, 2020
According to Jennifer Bendrey of the Huffington Post, a Democratic senator, whose identity was not publicly disclosed, said of Feinstein after Demand Justice called on her to step down as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee: “It’s very hard to watch a colleague in decline. That this is occurring publicly is even harder.”
Just asked a Dem senator about Demand Justice’s call for Dianne Feinstein to step down as ranking Dem on the Judiciary Committee after her handling of Barrett’s hearing.
“It’s very hard to watch a colleague in decline. That this is occurring publicly is even harder.”
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 15, 2020