Shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill criminalizing abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The Republican presidential hopeful has effectively banned abortion entirely, considering most women don’t know they’re pregnant until after the six-week mark. The move underscores the remarkably dangerous climate for women in America, and makes California’s Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s prolonged absence from Washington even more unacceptable.
Since the ultra-conservative takeover of the Supreme Court, confirming liberal judges in the lower federal courts has been an even more crucial part of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Since the ultra-conservative takeover of the Supreme Court that was completed by former President Donald Trump led to Roe v. Wade being overturned, confirming liberal judges in the lower federal courts has been an even more crucial part of President Joe Biden’s agenda. And it’s why during the 2022 midterms, Democrats stressed the importance of having 51 (and not just 50) senators they could count on to vote with them.
But Feinstein, a necessary member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been away since late February with shingles, which means Democrats have been unable to advance any Biden nominees to the federal judiciary. As more and more Democrats call for the 89-year-old’s resignation, her defenders have spoken up. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who’s the former Speaker of the House, says sexism may be the real culprit. Pelosi’s statement doesn’t acknowledge the fact that Feinstein’s absence is blocking what could be crucial wins for feminism.
Feinstein finally addressed the implications of her being away from Washington in a statement Wednesday evening. Referring to Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, she wrote, “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…
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