Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced she wouldn’t vote to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on the Senate Judiciary Committee as Congress returns to Capitol Hill.
“I will not go along with Chuck Schumer’s plan to replace Senator Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee and pack the court with activist judges,” Blackburn tweeted on Monday. “Joe Biden wants the Senate to rubber stamp his unqualified and controversial judges to radically transform America.”
KLOBUCHAR SAYS FEINSTEIN ‘BETTER’ MAKE A DECISION ON RETURNING ‘BEFORE THE DEBT CEILING VOTE’
Feinstein, who is 89 and recovering from shingles, has faced calls from fellow Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), to step down from Congress over her absence from the Senate. In response, Feinstein asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to appoint a temporary replacement for her on the Judiciary Committee, allowing Democrats to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees.
But replacing Feinstein won’t be an easy task.
Schumer will need GOP support to amend the Senate’s organizing resolution by unanimous consent, which Republicans are unlikely to provide. In order to get 60 votes to bypass a filibuster, Schumer will need at least 10 Republican votes.
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“Senate Democrats are also attempting to upend precedent and Senate custom by abolishing home-state Senators’ right to object to Biden’s activist liberal judges. We must stand up and protect the Senate’s constitutional role to provide advice and consent on judicial nominees,” Blackburn also tweeted.
If Feinstein does retire, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) would need to appoint her replacement before next year’s election for her seat. Feinstein is not seeking another term. But the race to replace her will likely be one of the most watched of 2024.
