Fellow Democrats turn on Dianne Feinstein, call for her to resign from Senate: 'dereliction of duty'

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Former Obama staffer says Sen. Dianne Feinstein should resign

Former Barack Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett said that California Sen. Dianne Feinsten should resign to help the Senate on his podcast "Pod Save America."

Democrats are beginning to turn on one of their own as calls for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to resign from the Senate are starting to grow from within the party's ranks.

Two House Democrats took to Twitter Wednesday to express their wishes for Feinstein to resign, alluding to concerns over her health and ability to perform her duties as a senator, despite the fact she announced her intention not to run for re-election earlier this year.

"It’s time for [Feinstein] to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty," Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote. "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."

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Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., wrote that he agreed with Khanna, and called on others to speak out as well.

"Senator Feinstein is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable. But I believe it’s now a dereliction of duty to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet," he wrote.

Feinstein, 89, who has served in the Senate for over 30 years, was hospitalized for shingles last month and has faced other health issues, including concerning reports related to her mental fitness. She had previously faced calls to resign prior to announcing her retirement.

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Shortly after the announcement, Feinstein appeared to be unaware of her own retirement when speaking with reporters. Within the same week, Feinstein also appeared to not remember her vote on a judicial nominee

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement on the matter Wednesday night. 

"Per Sen. Feinstein’s wishes, Majority Leader Schumer will ask the Senate next week to allow another Democratic Senator to temporarily serve on the Judiciary Committee," it said. 

Earlier this week, a former Obama administration staffer, Jon Lovett, also called on Feinstein to resign, arguing she "should no longer be in the Senate" because of her health problems, and noting her absence was holding up President Biden's judicial nominations.

"There’s been a lot of reporting about Dianne Feinstein no longer being fit to serve in the Senate representing the biggest state in this country. She’s currently out for shingles. That is sad. That is obviously not her fault, but because she is not in the Judiciary Committee, Durbin has said that it has made it basically impossible to move a lot of these lower court nominees to the Senate for a vote," Lovett said. "Which means that Dianne Feinstein who should not be in the Senate is now preventing us from being able to confirm judges."

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein listens during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Feinstein's office for comment and was sent a statement in which she addressed her return to work and health status, but made no mention of Khanna and Phillips. She also said she asked Schumer to have "another Democratic senator" serve temporarily in her stead.

"When I was first diagnosed with shingles, I expected to return by the end of the March work period. Unfortunately, my return to Washington has been delayed due to continued complications related to my diagnosis," Feinstein said.

"I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel. In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco," she said.

"I understand that my absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee, so I’ve asked Leader Schumer to ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to temporarily serve until I’m able to resume my committee work," she added.

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Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.