Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) cast aside claims that his call for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to step down was motivated by political opportunism.
A recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece suggested that Khanna’s calls were motivated by his desire to help Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) in her race to succeed Feinstein. Khanna rejected that assertion and argued that his call stemmed from the fact that the senator is simply “not showing up” to work.
KHANNA SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE PRIVATELY PRAISING HIS FEINSTEIN RESIGNATION CALL
“Newsom can appoint a caretaker. He doesn’t have to appoint someone in the current race. And I would support the governor doing that. This has nothing to do with the current race because a caretaker would solve that. This has to do with someone who is just not showing up,” Khanna argued on Fox News Sunday.
Khanna previously passed on vying for Feinstein’s seat but has endorsed Lee in that contest. He is also a co-chairman on her election campaign.
At 89, Feinstein has been absent from the upper chambers since February due to the shingles. As a result of her absence, approval for President Joe Biden‘s judicial nominees has been ground to a halt, rankling some progressives.
Khanna emerged as one of the loudest voices in public to call for her to step aside.
“I said out loud what people have been saying in private. And this is how the Beltway works. They don’t like it when you call out someone who is in power. And that’s why people are unlikely to do it,” he said.
His remarks triggered a backlash and even accusations or innuendo of sexism, including from fellow Californian Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the battle to succeed Feinstein. Pelosi questioned why others haven’t been clamoring for Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to resign, given his leave for clinical depression treatment.
“We don’t know if she’s even going to show up. She has no return date,” Khanna countered. “In contrast, Sen. Fetterman has said that he’s going to show back up on April 17th. So, it’s one thing to take medical leave and come back. It’s another thing where you’re just not doing the job.”
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Heeding progressive pressure, Feinstein asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to replace her on the Judiciary Committee temporarily so that Biden’s nominees can continue getting approved.
To swap a senator with Feinstein, Schumer must amend the chamber’s organizing resolution. Republicans will likely block that maneuver, which will mean Democrats likely need 10 defections from the GOP to break a filibuster.
