U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein remains under fire from members of her staff for her failure to show up for crucial votes and asking to be removed from one of her most important jobs in the Senate.
Feinstein, 89, contracted shingles earlier this year and his missed all of the votes during the current session. In addition, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, which has been confirming judges appointed by President Biden, she’s asked to be removed from the committee due to not being able to get back to work.
Feinstein did find time to draft a letter on the condition of jails across the country, including the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles County, however, as a senior member of the Senate her missing votes could be detrimental.
Elected officials around the state of California have placed their names out front as candidates for her seat when her term ends in next year, however, after Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to the Senate seat vacated by Kamala Harris, he promised the next appointment would be a Black woman.
During a 2021 appearance on MSNBC, Newsom was asked by Joy Reid if he would commit to naming a Black woman to the Senate if Feinstein steps down and whether he has thought of particular replacements.
“I have multiple names in mind. We have multiple names in mind — and the answer is yes,” said Newsom.
The likely woman to be selected to replace Feinstein is Rep. Barbara Lee considering the 100-member Senate does not include a single Black woman.
Lee announced her candidacy for Feinstein’s seat in February.
“I’ve never backed down from doing what’s right. And I never will. Californians deserve a strong, progressive leader who has delivered real change,” wrote Lee on her social media accounts.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has been representing California’s 12th District (formerly 13th) since 1998. She is the highest-ranking African American woman appointed to Democratic Leadership, serving as Co-Chair of the Policy and Steering Committee. She also serves on the Budget Committee and the powerful Appropriations Committee, which oversees all federal government spending.
The Los Angeles Times echoes the sentiments of appointing Barbara Lee alongside advocacy groups who want to see more women in office.
“Making good on a commitment is a serious thing to the most critical base of Democratic Party voters,” said Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People, an advocacy group pushing for more women of color to hold elected office. “The governor could complicate his legacy and push Black women, who in this state are a significant and critical voting bloc, to view him skeptically as someone who’s unwilling to support us when it counts.”
If Feinstein were to resign before November 2024, Newsom has the authority to appoint someone to fill the seat until 2025. With Democrats’ control of the Senate resting on a slim majority, Newsom would be under intense pressure to immediately name a successor.
That successor should be Rep. Barbara Lee.
Emilie St. John is a contributing writer for 2UrbanGirls.com and the Los Angeles Wave newspaper.
