California Deserves Better than Dianne Feinstein
I considered running against Senator Dianne Feinstein when she last faced reelection in 2018. 25 years in the Senate without a debate was 25 years too long. In the end, I decided it wasn’t the right time.
But after watching the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, I’m wondering if I made the right choice.
Because Sen. Feinstein’s actions have made it abundantly clear that she no longer represents the values of Californians. In fact, her appalling behavior betrayed the nearly 40 million Americans who trusted her enough to send her back to the Senate.
The Republican Party seeks to violate all longstanding precedents by ramming through a judicial candidate appointed by an unpopular president in the final days of his term.
In doing so, they would shift the balance of the Supreme Court to a 6-3 conservative majority that could last forty years -- undoubtedly doing more damage to our country than any of the assaults on workers rights, women’s rights, healthcare protections, and environmental regulation that the Trump administration has wrought.
In Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump found exactly what he’s been looking for: a conservative woman who “doesn’t hold firm views” on climate change, whose father was an attorney for Shell Oil, who belonged to a “faith group” in which women must obey their husbands; a judge who has adopted largely anti-worker — and on two occasions, racially discriminatory — positions.
Her appointment would risk the health care of millions of Americans -- by threatening their ACA benefits.
With so much at stake, one might think that the Democratic leader on the Judiciary Committee would fiercely interrogate Trump’s nominee, buttress the will of her constituents, and do everything in her power to expose the illegitimacy of the hearings.
Instead Sen. Feinstein chose to praise, thank, and literally embrace GOP chairman Lindsey Graham for conducting "one of the best hearings" she'd ever been a part of.
In doing so, she lent credibility to these sham proceedings, and allowed Senate Republicans to stack the Supreme Court and solidify its conservative majority for years to come.
Should Sen. Feinstein seek re-election, she should be prepared for challengers who recognize the critical importance of preserving the basic civil and human rights of their constituents. In the meantime, I join Chuck Schumer in “declining to express confidence” in her leadership and commitment to protecting the people she was elected to serve.
Certainly, it’s past time for the Democratic caucus in the U.S. Senate to reconsider their policy of granting committee chairmanships based on seniority. Clearly, these assignments need to be made with different criteria in mind.