Top Democrats have pushed back against growing concerns over the health of Senator Dianne Feinstein after she forgot she had been absent from Congress for two months with shingles.
On Wednesday, California Congressman Pete Aguilar dodged questions about the health of Feinstein, 89, mocking the fact that he didn’t have “a medical degree.”
Aguilar was apparently reluctant to criticize any of his colleagues because he admitted that House Democrats would need liberals in the Senate to have their “back” on the upcoming votes.
Another lawmaker, Mike Levin, insisted he was happy to see Feinstein again, despite concerns about his mental and physical abilities expressed by liberal and conservative lawmakers.
A prominent House Democrat has said Dianne Feinstein’s wellbeing is of no concern to him because ‘I don’t have a medical degree’ as questions continue to surround the MP’s health.
Feinstein was on extended leave following a case of shingles. She returned last week in a wheelchair and said in a statement that she had been ordered by the doctor to work a lighter schedule.
Feinstein caused confusion in her first Senate appearance in nearly three months by claiming she had been there the whole time.
‘No, I’ve been here. I voted,’ the 89-year-old told reporters on Tuesday when asked how she was feeling and what her colleagues thought of her comeback. ‘Please. Either you know or you don’t, she added oddly.
In an interview upon his return, some prominent Democrats said they were happy to see Feinstein back and did not want to question his role in the Senate.
Hawaii Rep. Ted Lieu joked that Democrats “don’t get in the way of conversations and their doctors” when asked about the octogenarian’s ability to legislate.
“I don’t have a medical degree, so I’m not going to comment on how she feels or what she looks like,” Rep Aguilar said.
“We expect Senate Democrats to support us in some of these votes and discussions … I appreciate that she is back at work and we wish her nothing but the best.”
Congressman Ted Lieu of Hawaii, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, delved into the medical topic.
“Democrats don’t get in the way of conversations between patients and their doctors,” he said.
‘Sen. Feinstein came back last week and she voted, and that was great.
Another California official, Representative Mike Levin, also declined to speculate on Feinstein’s health.
“I’m thrilled that she’s back and voting and participating on the Judiciary Committee and I think that says it all,” he said. “I am happy that she is back and happy that she can carry out her duties.”
“I don’t have a medical degree, so I’m not going to comment on how she feels or what she looks like,” California Congressman Pete Aguilar said.
“Democrats don’t get in the way of conversations between patients and their doctors,” said Rep. Ted Lieu of Hawaii
Another California official, Rep. Mike Levin, also declined to speculate on Feinstein’s health.
Meanwhile, Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman raised similar concerns on Tuesday over his stumbling speech at a hearing on the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. He suffered a stroke while campaigning last year but was elected anyway.
Last month, Feinstein asked to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee.
Now there is more concern for Feinstein, whose physical and mental abilities have deteriorated in recent years after she seemed to forget she had been away for the past two and a half months.
When Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal was asked if there was any optimism that Feinstein could once again become a fully functioning and contributing member of the committee like herself.
“There’s one job no one else can do for us is to vote,” Blumenthal said. “And she’s been doing this job for the past few days, and as far as I know, she’s fine.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed back Senator Dianne Feinstein
“Hi everyone,” Feinstein said as she entered the building on Wednesday.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, however, said: “I’ll leave that to the doctors.”
Feinstein arrived in the Senate on Wednesday after flying from California – where she was recovering at her San Francisco home – to Washington DC
“Even though I have made significant progress and been able to return to Washington, I am still experiencing side effects from the shingles virus. My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule when I return to the Senate,” she said in a statement.
Then she made his return to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, arriving nearly 90 minutes late and after some judicial nominees had already been elected.
She received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats on the panel when she joined them after leaving due to health issues.
President Dick Durbin welcomed Senator Feinstein
Senator Dianne Feinstein uses a wheelchair to get around the Capitol
Feinstein takes his place during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill
Side effects include persistent pain known as postherpetic neuralgia, painful eye infections that can lead to loss of vision, facial paralysis, or problems with hearing or balance, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Feinstein arrived in time to vote for the advancement of three of President Joe Biden’s nominees. She has been criticized by members of her own party for her prolonged absence from the Senate, which has delayed confirmation from some justices.
Meanwhile, Feinstein has said she will not run again in 2024.
The race to replace her is already competitive with several Democrats vying for a Senate seat that has not been vacant for 30 years, including Representatives Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter.
There are fears that if Feinstein resigns, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom – who must nominate someone to fulfill his term – could upend the race to replace her by nominating someone already in the running for the seat.
He said he would appoint a black woman to that position. Representative Lee is black.
And Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who led the latest round of calls for Feinstein’s resignation, endorsed Lee in the primary to replace Feinstein.
California has a jungle primary, which means the top two winners, regardless of party, qualify for the general election. That means the heavily Democratic state could see two Democrats run in the November 2024 election.
