Graham say he would support replacement for Feinstein on Judiciary if she resigns

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday he would support efforts to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the Judiciary Committee if she were to resign from the chamber amid health concerns.

“If she resigned, I would make sure that whatever we did in the past when members resigned would be followed,” Graham said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I hope she comes back. But if she does resign, I would be in the camp of following the president of the Senate replacing the person, consistent with what we have done in the past.”

Feinstein, 89, who has been at home recovering from a shingles diagnosis, has faced calls to resign from Democratic colleagues in the House. She is not running for reelection in 2024. Democrats have been unable to push a number of judicial nominees through the Judiciary Committee to a full floor vote with Feinstein’s absence, which has been one of the Biden administration’s priorities.

Feinstein initially asked for a temporary replacement to be appointed to the committee, resisting calls for her resignation. But Republicans, whose support was needed to appoint a temporary replacement, balked at the proposal and blocked the move last week.

But Graham said on Sunday that if she were to resign, he would support her being replaced on the committee instead of leaving the panel with a 10-10 partisan split, which would hamper Democrats’ abilities to push nominees through.

Graham said, however, he hopes Feinstein, who he described as a “wonderful person,” returns to the Senate and does not resign.

“As to Senator Feinstein, she is a wonderful person,” Graham said. “She’s been a very effective senator. I hope she comes back.”