Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley defended California Sen. Dianne. Feinstein after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hinted he told the California Democrat she would no longer hold her leadership post on the Judiciary Committee.
“Democrats calling for Senator Feinstein to step down from Judiciary Ranking Member should think twice abt their sexist & ageist motivations against an outstanding legislator & icon in her own right Attacks on Senator Feinstein are totally unjustified,” Grassley, 87, tweeted Wednesday.
Schumer announced he had “a long, serious talk with Sen. Feinstein” to reporters on Tuesday after liberal groups and unidentified Democrats called for Feinstein, 87, to be pushed out of her position as the top Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee as a result of her not fighting aggressively enough against Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Feinstein further enraged Democrats at the end of the hearing when she hugged Chairman Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina who led Barrett’s nomination hearing. Feinstein also complimented Graham for running the four-day long hearings in a fair manner.
“I’ve seen this before. For some people, It’s not whether you agree with them. You have to hate the people they hate. That’s a race to the bottom. I feel terrible. I really do,” Graham told reporters Wednesday.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, did not respond to reporters’ questions about Schumer’s announcement regarding Feinstein.
Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, told reporters, “I think Senator Feinstein has a long record of fighting for gender equality and reproductive rights and has led the minority on the committee well. I look forward to continuing to serve with her.”
Coons would not comment if he thought Feinstein should be replaced.
