Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) revealed on Monday afternoon that she will step down as Democrats’ highest-ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The California Democrat faced an abundance of scrutiny from progressive lawmakers and activists for her civil behavior toward Justice Amy Coney Barrett during her confirmation hearings in October. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and others indicated that Sen. Feinstein is not combative enough to handle the position on the committee.
“After serving as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee for four years, I will not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress,” Sen. Feinstein said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to serve as a senior Democrat on the Judiciary, Intelligence, Appropriations and Rules committees as we work with the Biden administration.”
After Sen. Feinstein’s announcement, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said that he would seek to replace her as Democrats’ highest-ranking member on the judiciary committee.
Dick Durbin, who is next up, will seek the position, his spokeswoman says.
— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) November 23, 2020
Durbin is also the Democratic Whip, but that does not appear to preclude his taking a top committee post. https://t.co/hc0CSSHjsF
Far-left activist and former Hillary Clinton aide Brian Fallon, who contributed to much of the crazed conspiracy theories that circulated during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, was a driving force behind the activist movement supporting Sen. Feinstein’s ousting. He said that the California Democrat clings to a “bygone era of civility and decorum,” after previously accusing Sen. Feinstein of “undercutting” Democrats’ agenda for simply acting civilly toward Republicans.
The next senator to serve as the lead Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee cannot wishfully cling to a bygone era of civility and decorum. It will take someone committed to undoing the damage Trump and McConnell have done to our courts, no matter what it takes.
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) November 23, 2020
Republicans are poised to hold the majority in the Senate, pending Georgia’s pair of runoff elections in January, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is slated to step back in as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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