CNA Staff, Nov 24, 2020 / 15:21 pm
Following complaints from liberal groups on her handling of Amy Coney's Barrett's confirmation hearing, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announced that she will not seek to continue as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"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," she said in a November 23 statement. Feinstein added she looks "forward to continuing to serve as a senior Democrat on the Judiciary, Intelligence, Appropriations and Rules committees as we work with the Biden Administration."
Feinstein faced calls to step down from the position after she was cordial with her Senate colleagues at Justice Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearings last month. Feinstein, a Democrat, thanked chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) at the conclusion of the hearings, and said it was "one of the best set of hearings that I've participated in."
"I want to thank you for your fairness and the opportunity of going back and forth," she added. "It leaves one with a lot of hopes, a lot of questions, and even some ideas," she said, noting that "perhaps some good bipartisan legislation" could happen in the future.