Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Feinstein: ‘I worry about her’

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Sunday said she worries about California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) as the senator weathers concerns about her health and faces calls by some fellow Democrats to step down from her seat.

“Should she be in office? You know, that’s her decision. I worry about her, I worry about her health, but ultimately, of course, that’s her decision to make,” Bass said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Feinstein, 89, recently returned to the Senate after weeks away from Capitol Hill as she battled shingles and complications.

Her absence and some actions after her return have prompted concerns about her ability to serve in the Senate and calls for the senator to step down, particularly after judicial nominees by President Biden were held up by the Judiciary Committee, on which Feinstein sits, in part due to her absence.

California Democrat Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee are running to try and replace Feinstein, who is retiring — but Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has said he’d appoint a Black woman to the role if Feinstein steps down before the end of her term.

Asked on Sunday if Newsom should appoint Lee in that case, Bass said: “I absolutely think that he should appoint Barbara Lee, but we’ll see. Senator Feinstein is still in office. It’s not an issue right now.”