Fifth House Democrat calls on Senator Dianne Feinstein to step down
A New York congressman on Friday became the fifth Democrat in the House of Representatives to ask Senator Dianne Feinstein (Democrat of California) to step down for health reasons.
“If you’re a member and you become just a shadow of your former self, you should resign,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) insiders said, based on Feinstein. “Once you are no longer the best person to represent your state, you have a duty to move on.”
The Bronx lawmaker joins Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in calling for the 89th -year-olds. Resignation of the old senator.
Feinstein, who announced earlier this year that she would not be running for re-election in 2024, returned to the Senate just over weeks ago after spending nearly three months outside of Washington, DC, where she was recovering from shingles and had recovered from other health problems.
Last week, a source close to the senator described her current condition as “terrifying” to The New York Times.
While recovering from her shingles, Feinstein reportedly developed encephalitis — a swelling of the brain that can lead to memory problems, increased confusion, and difficulty walking, among other problems.
Six-year-old Feinstein, the oldest member of the Senate, used a wheelchair to get around the Capitol and gave confused answers to questions about her absence.
When confronted by reporters shortly after returning from DC, Feinstein insisted that she didn’t leave Congress to recover from the illness, but instead voted all along.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported that Feinstein is now being prevented from interacting with reporters and photographers on Capitol Hill by aides and the Senate corporal.
Her office said in a statement after her return that her doctors had recommended she keep to a “light schedule” as she continued to recover.
Should Feinstein actually step down, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom would be tasked with appointing her successor, which would end her term.
