GOP prepared to block vote to replace Feinstein on Senate Judiciary

Style Magazine Newswire | 4/18/2023, 3:36 p.m.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he hopes to replace Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate …
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) arrives for a Senate briefing on China at the U.S. Capitol on February 15. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/FILE

Originally Published: 18 APR 23 15:45 ET

Updated: 18 APR 23 15:48 ET

By Ali Zaslav

(CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that he hopes to replace Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee with Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland and aims to set up a floor vote on the issue this afternoon, which Republicans are expected to block.

Senate Democrats are seeking to temporarily replace Feinstein on the powerful panel that processes judicial nominees as the California Democrat remains absent as she recovers from shingles.

Senate Republicans, however, have made clear that they are prepared to block Democratic efforts to replace Feinstein on the committee, ratcheting up pressure on the 89-year-old California Democrat to resign or return quickly.

Asked if the California Democrat should consider resigning if she can't return by May, Schumer responded that he's "hopeful" she will return "very soon."

"Look, I spoke to Senator Feinstein just a few days ago and she and I are both very hopeful that she will return very soon," Schumer said at his weekly policy press conference in the US Capitol.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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