RapidcreekDianne Feinstein dies at 90
Imagine if she had mentored and sponsored a younger replacement in 2000 and then retired in 2010. Where would we be?
Now that Skeletor has died with no one obvious to replace her, the Judiciary Committee will probably grind to a halt when it comes to confirming judges.
She was a public servant that worked for a long time on your behalf.
California’s governor will name a replacement for the remainder of her term.
Democrats no longer have a clear majority in the Senate. This has all sorts of complications. I believe it will still take 60 votes to replace her in Judiciary which Republicans won’t give them. Probably the main reason she stuck around to begin with. Biden has to be careful with his nominees if he can get through any at all. Gawd help us if a SCOTUS member dies. The call for Menendez to step down will quiet a bit.
Republicans were objecting to a temporary replacement, but if they refuse to give someone a committee seat due to vacancy, Democrats will just change the rule to simple majority. Finestein could have ended this stalemate at any time by retiring, but the ghouls around her didn’t want to surrender their power.
That’s really not true. They can’t change rules until the next congress.
The Senate can change their rules at any time, they just need 60 votes or to invoke the “nuclear option” and pass with 50. Democrats have been reluctant to do so because it makes changing rules easier in the future and for some reason they don’t think the party with the majority should be able to pass things with just a majority.
Session rules can only be changed at rehearsal start of a new congress.