Schumer says he's keeping discussions with Feinstein on her ability to serve private
Lawmakers are reportedly questioning California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's capacity to do her job at her age
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said "no" Democrats have approached him with concerns about Sen. Dianne Feinstein's health following reports that lawmakers have been questioning her mental capability.
Senators and other officials are reportedly concerned that Feinstein, 88, is no longer mentally competent enough to do her job as a lawmaker, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The critics of the California Democrat, however, have declined to speak on the record and asked to have their names withheld.
DIANNE FEINSTEIN'S MEMORY FADING AND SHE MAY NO LONGER BE FIT TO SERVE, SENATORS SAY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pressed about the reporting at a news conference Tuesday and whether Democratic lawmakers raised these concerns with him, Schumer said, "No. They have not."
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) walks to the Senate Chambers at the U.S. Capitol on September 29, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Schumer stopped short of offering a resounding endorsement for Feinstein's fitness for office.
"I've had a good number of discussions with Senator Feinstein, but I'm keeping them to myself," Schumer said when asked if he has confidence in her capabilities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DIANNE FEINSTEIN DEFENDS JOB PERFORMANCE, DECLINES INTERVIEW WITH SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992. Her current term is up in January 2025.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. ((AP Photo/Susan Walsh))
The San Francisco Chronicle report cited interviews from anonymous Democratic lawmakers that Feinstein's mental health is "bad, and it’s getting worse." Another lawmaker said Feinstein used to be totally in command and in charge, but "all of that is gone."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Feinstein, the oldest sitting senator, pushed back against claims that she was deteriorating mentally and could no longer fulfill her job requirements. She defended any perceived distractions as a consequence of her husband's tragic death due to cancer earlier this year.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., greets Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in her hideaway office at the Capitol, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Washington. ((AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta))
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"The last year has been extremely painful and distracting for me, flying back and forth to visit my dying husband who passed just a few weeks ago," she said in a previous statement to Fox News Digital. "But there’s no question I’m still serving and delivering for the people of California, and I’ll put my record up against anyone’s."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.