Ro Khanna wants a ‘caretaker senator’ in for Dianne Feinstein

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna encouraged California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint an “acting senator” in Dianne Feinstein’s place as he continued his call for the 89-year-old legislator to resign.

Khanna said that if Feinstein stepped down, Newsom would not have to venture into the thorny politics of endorsing someone who is already a candidate for the Senate seat, but could choose another option.

‘Govern. Newsom can appoint a caretaker, he doesn’t have to appoint someone in the current race,” Khanna said on Fox News Sunday. “I would support the governor in that. This has nothing to do with the current race, because a janitor will solve that.’

Khanna caused a storm last week when he called for the legendary longtime senator to resign. Many women have joined Feinstein’s defense, and some called the firing demands sexist, citing the number of male legislators who have served through illness and old age.

In addition, there are concerns that if Feinstein were to resign, Governor Newsom — who must nominate someone to serve her term — could disrupt the race to replace her by nominating someone who is already running for the seat.

Khanna is leading the press campaign on Feinstein, who has been absent from the Senate for more than two months following a diagnosis of shingles. The California senator has missed nearly 60 votes since her shingles diagnosis in mid-February.

However, Feinstein refuses to resign.

She has already said she will not seek re-election in 2024 and asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to appoint a temporary replacement for her on the Senate Judiciary Committee so that Presidential nominees Joe Biden to go through the confirmation process.

Some suggest that Khanna’s motivations are politically motivated as he is Rep. Barbara Lee is running in the Democratic primary to replace Feinstein.

Lee is black. Newsom has promised to name a black woman if he has to appoint a replacement for Feinstein. If the need arises and he keeps that promise, then all eyes would be on Lee – who, if appointed to serve out the rest of Feinstein’s term, could run for a full term with the benefit of incumbency .

Khanna rejected the idea that politics is behind his statement and said Newsom should go with a non-candidate.

“This has to do with someone just not showing up,” he said. “I said out loud what people said in private.”

California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein missed two months on Capitol Hill due to a case of shingles

Ro Khanna supports Rep. Barbara Lee in the race to replace Dianne Feinstein

The race to replace Feinstein in 2024 is already competitive with several Democrats running for a Senate seat that has not been vacant for 30 years. In addition to Rep. Lee also have Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter bids announced.

California has a jungle primary, meaning the top two winners in the primary, regardless of party, advance to the general election. That means the heavily Democratic state could see two Democrats running in the November 2024 election.

Meanwhile, Feinstein’s fellow female senators support her staying on, arguing it’s her “right” to do so.

“We’ve had so many senators who’ve been sick, whether it’s Mitch McConnell’s illness or senators who’ve had a stroke,” Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday.

‘We believe that a senator should be able to judge for himself when to retire and when not. And they all deserve a chance to get better and get back to work. Dianne will get better. She comes back to work.

“She is an extraordinary member of the Senate. It’s her right. She has been elected a senator for six years by her state. In my opinion she has the right to decide when to step down.’

Others echoed that argument.

“It is up to Dianne Feinstein and her family to decide if she wants to continue serving and she has a remarkable record and I respect that,” Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday.

Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Dianne Feinstein has the ‘right’ to stay in Senate

If Dianne Feinstein steps down, California Governor Gavin Newsom would nominate a replacement to hold the seat until the 2024 election

And Sen. Amy Klobuchar told ABC’s This Week that “I take her word for it that she will return.”

Nancy Pelosi, speaker emeritus, called the layoff calls sexist last week.

“Senator Feinstein has been California champion for 20 years,” Pelosi said CBS news. “She deserves that respect to get better and be able to serve again.

‘It’s interesting to me. I don’t know what political agendas are at work going after Senator Feinstein in that way. I’ve never seen them go after a man who was sick in the Senate like that,” she added.

But there have been male senators who served into old age and amid questions about their health, including Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Bryd died in office and Thurmond retired after becoming the only legislator to reach the age of 100.

In addition, McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, is out after recovering from a fall and Democratic Senator John Fetterman missed two months at work while he was treated for depression at Walter Reed Hospital.

Both men will return to the Senate on Monday, when lawmakers return from a two-week spring break.

Feinstein has not given a date when she expects to return to Washington.