Feinstein asks to be temporarily replaced on Judiciary Committee amid calls to resign

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is moving to temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on the powerful Judiciary Committee, after Feinstein acknowledged medical complications from shingles have kept her sidelined for longer than expected.

The move could help Senate Democrats advance federal judges for confirmation — a key goal in any administration, but one that both parties have put particular focus on in recent years, as partisan divides have grown wider in U.S. society.

Feinstein, 89, hasn't cast a vote since Feb. 16, missing nearly 60 of the Senate's 82 votes so far this session. She's the oldest member of Congress, and said in early March that she was hospitalized with shingles.