AOC says Dianne Feinstein, 89, should ‘retire’ and says her stance is not ‘anti-feminist’

New York Progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Monday it was time for 89-year-old Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein to retire amid an extended absence from Congress due to ill health that hampered the efforts of has upset the Democrats to confirm liberal judges.

AOC is the latest member of Feinstein’s own party to call for her to go, brushing off complaints that such posts were sexist.

“I find criticism of that position as ‘anti-feminist’ a farce,” she wrote on the new social media platform Bluesky.

Democrats, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, have rejected such calls as sexist because they say men of the same age would not make the same demands.

But there’s no escaping it. Feinstein serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and her absence while recovering from shingles has made it difficult for Democrats to push their way through judicial candidates.

Feinstein has been absent since February as she recovers from shingles

“Her refusal to retire or show up wreaks havoc on the judiciary — precisely where reproduction rights are being violated,” AOC wrote, claiming that Feinstein is violating women’s rights.

“That failure means that Dems can now pass only GOP-approved nominees during this precious period.”

It follows similar comments she made in April, after weeks of speculation about Feinstein’s vulnerability.

“I think what we’re seeing is really concerning, and I think when a member’s health and ability to serve us is put in the spotlight, it’s very unfortunate, it’s very sad,” she shared CNN.

“But I do think what’s happening right now, and the impact that the continued ability to serve has on our ability to fill the courts, the impact that this has on people’s access to abortion care, I think this is something that’s – it’s unfortunately something I think is appropriate to consider.’

It follows a ruling in Texas that threatened access to mifepristone, a widely used abortion pill, issued by a conservative judge led by Donald Trump.

The oldest member of the Senate has been absent since February and her office has not set a date for her return.

Democrats asked her to appoint a temporary replacement on the Judiciary Committee, but were blocked by Republicans last month.

Last month, Feinstein released a statement revealing she had asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve” on the judicial panel “until I can resume my committee work.”

Nancy Pelosi rejected calls for Senator Dianne Feinstein to resign as sexist

“Let’s be clear,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in remarks on the Senate floor, “Senate Republicans will not participate in sidelining a temporarily absent colleague from a committee just so Democrats can push their very worst nominees.”

Meanwhile, allies in her own party have helped fend off calls that she should go.

“Senator Feinstein has been a champion for California for 20 years,” former House Speaker and co-octogenary Pelosi told CBS news. “She deserves that respect to get better and return to service.”

Men wouldn’t face the same phone calls, she added.

‘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 her absence comes at a critical time, as Democrats have the narrowest majority in the Senate.

The Senate will hold a hearing on Thursday on raising the debt ceiling after the House passed a Republican bill last week that would raise the borrowing limit, but only if it came with major cuts.

Each bill needs 60 votes to pass the Senate, and Feinstein’s absence reduces the Democrats’ influence by one vote.