Pelosi Accuses Fellow Dems of Sexism for Calling on Senile Senator To Resign

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) accused her fellow Democrats of being sexist for urging 89-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) to resign. According to Pelosi’s statements to KPIX, Feinstein “deserves the respect to get well and to be back on duty.” Pelosi seemed unsure about the political motivations behind her fellow party members’ urging for Feinstein’s resignation, stating “I’ve never seen them go after a man who was sick in the Senate in that way.”

The California senator has been fighting a case of shingles for some time now, leading to calls for her to resign, and putting Biden’s judicial nominations in jeopardy. On the same day Pelosi made her accusations, Politico reported that “multiple Democrats” were becoming increasingly concerned that Feinstein may never return to Washington.

Before her shingles diagnosis, Feinstein was already in poor health, with three Senate Democrats stating last year that she is “too cognitively impaired to serve out her term.” Feinstein announced in February that she would retire at the end of her term, but then forgot about the announcement hours later.

Progressive congressman Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) publicly declared on Wednesday that Feinstein should resign.

Feinstein’s resignation would pose a challenge for California Governor Gavin Newsom (D.), who would have to appoint the senator’s temporary replacement. Newsom has expressed interest in naming a black woman to the position with Rep. Barbara Lee being the only black female Democrat running for the spot but is widely regarded as unpopular.

Additionally, Pelosi’s comments shed light on disagreement among Democrats regarding Feinstein’s replacement, with Khanna and other progressives calling for Lee, while Pelosi and other “largely San Francisco-based establishment Democrats” are supporting Rep. Adam Schiff, according to Politico.

Feinstein has since requested to step down from the Senate Judiciary Committee, but did not specify when she will return, Politico reported.