A number of Democratic senators reportedly criticized California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, saying she is not the right person to serve as the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel for the Supreme Court nomination hearings, according to Politico.
The Democratic senators spoke on the condition of anonymity and heavily criticized Feinstein in an interview with Politico, reportedly saying she will hurt Democrats during the Judiciary panel for the next Supreme Court nominee. One of the senators even allegedly said there is no way Feinstein could pull off leading the hearings for Democrats.
“She’s not sure what she’s doing,” one Democratic senator allegedly said of Feinstein. “If you take a look at Kavanaugh, we may be short two senators because of that. And if this gets [messed] up, it may be the same result. I think it could impact a number of seats we can win.”
Another Democratic senator reportedly said, “she can’t pull this off.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) speaks during a Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing for Neomi Rao, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, on Capitol Hill on February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a speech Monday remembering the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and said President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee will receive a vote on the Senate floor. (RELATED: McConnell Says ‘Trump’s Nominee For This Vacancy Will Receive A Vote’)
Feinstein will be responsible for leading the hearings for the Democrats and responded to the criticism. (RELATED: Sen Dianne Feinstein, Who Defended Christine Blasey Ford, Calls Tara Reade’s Accusation Against Joe Biden ‘Ridiculous’)
“And so it’s difficult for me to see, I don’t know what people expect,” Feinstein said to Politico. “I’ve been on the committee for a while. I’ve seen how the committee works and I’ve seen how other chairs on our side of the aisle work. I don’t see, to be very blunt and honest, I don’t see a big difference. I’m prepared, so that’s puzzling to me.”
Feinstein also said she knows the hearings will be a challenge but that she will do her best to lead Democrats.
“Let me say this — I know it’s going to be a fight, I understand that,” Feinstein continued. “I don’t have a lot of tools to use, but I’m going to use what I have. We can try to delay and obstruct but they can run this process through. That doesn’t mean that we won’t fight tooth and nail.”