Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is calling on Sen. Dianne Feinstein to resign, the latest sign of pressure the California Democrat faces from her own party to step down amid her extended absence from the Senate.
The 89-year-old Feinstein “should retire. I think criticisms of that stance as ‘anti-feminist’ are a farce,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on Bluesky, a new social media app.
Feinstein, who has been away as she recovers from shingles, is a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee where her absence has created issues for Democrats as the panel works to process judicial nominees. Several other House Democrats have also expressed support or called for Feinstein to resign as a result.
“Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary - precisely where repro rights are getting stripped. That failure means now in this precious window Dems can only pass GOP- approved nominees,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
A spokeswoman for the congresswoman, Lauren Hitt, confirmed the authenticity of the Bluesky post to CNN.
The congresswoman previously told CNN’s Manu Raju in April that Feinstein should “consider” resigning.
“I think what we’re seeing is really concerning, and I think whenever a member’s health and ability to serve us brought into the spotlight, it’s very unfortunate, it’s very sad,” she said in April.
“But I do think that what is happening right now, and the impact that the continued ability to serve is having on our ability to fill the courts, the impact that this is having on people’s access to abortion care, I think this is something that is — it is unfortunately something that I think it is appropriate to consider,” the New York Democrat said at the time.
The spokeswoman also told CNN that Ocasio-Cortez will not primary New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2024.
“She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024. She is not planning to primary Gillibrand,” Hitt said.
In April, Feinstein said that she had asked to be “temporarily” replaced on the Judiciary Committee while she continued to recover from shingles, but the California Democrat remained committed to returning to the Senate.
Not long after, however, Republicans formally blocked a request from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to temporarily replace Feinstein on the committee.
CNN’s Manu Raju and Samantha Murphy Kelly contributed.
