© Provided by Washington Examiner When Amy Coney Barrett was first confirmed to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017, Sen. Dianne Feinstein attacked Barrett over her Catholic faith. Now, with Barrett facing the Senate for her Supreme Court promotion, Feinstein has been given some redemption.
Like the rest of the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Feinstein avoided attacking Barrett for her Catholicism. It was a coordinated effort by Democrats to avoid bringing it up to give Republicans ammunition for the election, while Democrats focused explicitly on their own election messaging. And of course, Feinstein was caught on a hot mic bringing up Barrett's faith. But she kept those reservations to herself, a marked improvement from three years ago.
On its own, this is not a laudable act. But Feinstein took it a step further than her Democratic colleagues.
Feinstein praised Sen. Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the committee, for the hearings. "This has been one of the best set of hearings that I've participated in, and I want to thank you for your fairness and the opportunity of going back-and-forth," she said, adding "It leaves one with a lot of hopes, a lot of questions, and even some ideas. Perhaps some good bipartisan legislation we can put together to make this great country even better."
Feinstein drew heat from progressive activist groups like Demand Justice and NARAL for her comments, as the groups called on her to be pushed out from her role as the committee's top Democrat for "legitimizing" Barrett's hearing and nomination. For good measure, Feinstein has also opposed eliminating the legislative filibuster in the Senate, a stance she would be expected to support in deep blue California.
Feinstein has opened up fundraising for a 2024 run, when she would be 91. She nearly dropped her seat in 2018 to progressive challenger Kevin de Leon. Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, who was the first congressional Democrat to publicly criticize Feinstein's comments, is likely the frontrunner for state's next Senate seat. But even if Feinstein doesn't run again, Chuck Schumer would face progressive pressure to force Feinstein out of her seat on the powerful committee.
There is plenty to criticize Feinstein for, from her previous comments on Barrett to her horrendous handling of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation two years prior. But Feinstein's closing comments signal a time of bipartisanship that most of her own party has cheerfully abandoned. It may not be much, but it is a small redemption for California's senior senator as partisanship intensifies ahead of the November election.
Tags: Beltway Confidential, Dianne Feinstein, Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court, Senate Judiciary Committee, Confirmation Hearings, NARAL
Original Author: Zachary Faria
Original Location: Dianne Feinstein wins some redemption during Supreme Court confirmation hearing