The drama in the Senate continues. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is working from home as she recovers from shingles. Democrats are getting antsy for her to either return to work and be able to cast votes on what they deem important or else she should resign. She announced in February that she would not seek re-election.

Dianne Feinstein is 89 years old. She was hospitalized for weeks with shingles, falling ill during the February recess. She was released from the hospital on March 7 and went home to recuperate. It was not clear when she would return to her Senate office and her committee work. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) was also out due to hospitalization for clinical depression. This meant Republicans had a 50-49 majority but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remained in control of the voting schedule. Fetterman has been cleared to go back to work. That would put the tally at 50-50. Kamala Harris breaks tie votes.

Democrats are anxious to move more judicial nominees out of the Senate Judiciary Committee so that they can go to the Senate floor for a vote. The party in the majority needs to get as many judicial confirmations pushed through as possible. The previous administration was good at working with then-Leader Mitch McConnell to move through a large number of nominations. Democrats want to continue to get Biden’s nominees confirmed.

Former Obama staffer Jon Lovett said earlier this week on his podcast that he thinks Feinstein should resign if she isn’t willing to immediately retire. This opened up the floodgates. In what looked like it was a coordinated effort, suddenly Democrats in the media began to call for Feinstein to resign. Other Democrats in office began to call for it, too.

I’m no Feinstein fan but I began to feel sorry for her. It all sounded so sexist. None of these people said a peep about John Fetterman resigning when he was hospitalized. They pretended he was working hard for his constituents in the hospital where he was being treated for clinical depression. Granted, Feinstein is elderly but she deserves the same respect as any other senator.

On Wednesday night, Feinstein released a statement about her return to work.

“When I was first diagnosed with shingles, I expected to return by the end of the March work period. Unfortunately, my return to Washington has been delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis.

“I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel. In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco.

“I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee, so I’ve asked Leader Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I’m able to resume my committee work.”

There is a process in place where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer can ask the Senate to allow another Democrat senator to serve on the Judiciary Committee.

In order to replace her on the committee, a resolution would need to be agreed upon to name another member to the panel. Typically, members are named to committees as part of an organizing resolution at the beginning of a new Senate session.

The process at the start of a new Congress typically happens without incident. Leaders agree and the resolution is adopted by unanimous consent.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin recently acknowledged to CNN that Feinstein’s absence had slowed down the party’s push to confirm nominees.

Asked if her absence has longer ramifications for the Democrats’ ability to confirm nominees, the Illinois Democrat said, “Yes, of course it does,” pointing to the long process of getting nominees scheduled for votes during precious floor time.

Schumer plans to do it next week.

Those who are running to replace Feinstein in 2024 have weighed in, too. It’s all pretty tacky. That’s politics.

The statement came after a rare instance of lawmakers urging a member of their own party to step down from Congress. California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna earlier in the day had called for her resignation – a sentiment echoed by another House Democrat on Twitter.

“It’s time for @SenFeinstein to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people,” Khanna, co-chair of Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee’s campaign to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat in 2024, said Wednesday on Twitter.

It’s not just California Democrats who are thinking about the future of the seat without Feinstein. Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota responded to Khanna’s Wednesday tweet saying that he agreed.

“Senator Feinstein is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable. But I believe it’s now a dereliction of duty to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet,” Phillips tweeted.

I wish her a speedy recovery.