I fear Dianne Feinstein’s resignation from the Senate more than her staying put

Dianne Feinstein has become a painfully sad spectacle, being wheeled through the Capitol as she so visibly struggles to perform the basic duties of a United States senator. She has joined the ranks of formidable leaders who stayed in office too long. Yet at this point, I fear her resignation more than I fear her remaining in office. Since Feinstein effectively became the decisive vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee after the 2020 election, the window for her to resign without potential consequences to the judicial system was closed. Republicans blocked efforts to replace Feinstein temporarily after a recent hospitalization as they would now if she retired. The politics of maintaining a razor-thin majority on a committee that forwards President Joe Biden’s judicial nominations to the full Senate has an undeniable impact on the future governance of the U.S. Supreme Court. They dictate why establishment Democrats fall in line behind Feinstein despite her frail condition.