After taking brutal criticism from her own party after she praised Lindsey Graham during the Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearings, Feinstein has announced she is stepping down as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Commitee.
Feinstein said in a statement “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.”
Feinstein, who is 87 years old, indicated she intends to stay on the committee.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she will step down as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The move follows criticism by some influential liberals of her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings.https://t.co/zolY0dJSXs
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 24, 2020
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) tweeted “As the first woman to not only serve on the Judiciary Committee but also to become its Ranking Member, Senator Feinstein has broken many glass ceilings. I thank Senator Feinstein for her years of service as RM, and look forward to continuing our work together on Committee.”
As the first woman to not only serve on the Judiciary Committee but also to become its Ranking Member, Senator Feinstein has broken many glass ceilings.
I thank Senator Feinstein for her years of service as RM, and look forward to continuing our work together on Committee.
— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) November 24, 2020
In October Feinstein praised Graham for “one of the best hearings i’ve participated in” after the Amy Coney Barrett hearings, leading to mass outrage from many Democrats.
