Earlier this week, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called on his California colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), to resign in a post on social media.
Friday, on FBN’s “Mornings with Maria,” Khanna defended his stance and questioned why he was taking heat for it.
It’s time for @SenFeinstein to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) April 12, 2023
“Let me switch gears, ask you something else that you’ve been calling for, and that is that 89-year-old California Senator Dianne Feinstein stepped down,” host Maria Bartiromo said. “She is vowing to return to Capitol Hill as soon as possible. She is facing growing calls to resign. She has asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to allow another Democrat Senator to temporarily replace her on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Congressman, you’re calling for her resignation. You did so in a tweet earlier this week. Why?”
“Maria, I don’t really see why this is actually that controversial of a position or why taken some heat for it,” Khanna replied. “It’s a pretty simple principle. I don’t know any job in this country where you can just not show up, have no expectation of returning, and continue to have that job. Senator Feinstein has had a distinguished public service career, but ultimately, she works for the people of California. The largest state in California deserves a Senator who is going to be present at the Judiciary Committees, voting on judicial nominations.”
“Well, look, I couldn’t agree more on that,” Bartiromo said. “You’ve got to get to work. But, Congressman, let’s face it. You’re in the House of Representatives. Why do you care? Do you want to run for her seat?”
“I don’t,” Khanna responded. “I’ve endorsed someone else for her seat. And there is every likelihood that the governor could appoint someone who is a caretaker. So, it won’t even affect the race. This is honestly just about making sure that someone is there to vote. I mean, Senator Durbin said that the President’s judicial nominations are being held up because Senator Feinstein isn’t present. And so, — and I’ve respected Senator Feinstein’s career. I just hope that she does the right thing here.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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