Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California should resign as she faces a lengthy absence from Washington due to a health issue, according to a new poll.
The Economist/YouGov poll found 65% of U.S. adults, and 64% of Democrats, say she should step aside.
The poll said 78% of persons with an unfavorable view of Ms. Feinstein would like her to resign, while 64% of those with a favorable view of the senator say she should depart.
Ms. Feinstein, 89, has been away from the Senate for more than a month as she recovers from shingles.
The longtime Democrat does not plan to seek reelection in 2024, but some of her party allies are eager for her to depart because of issues in moving President Biden-nominated judges through the Senate.
Some prominent Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna of California, have called on Ms. Feinstein to resign, saying her unclear return date makes her unable to fulfill critical duties.
Ms. Feinstein asked Democratic leaders to temporarily replace her on the Senate Judiciary Committee so the panel could advance judges, but Republicans blocked the request.
Some Feinstein allies, notably former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, say a double standard is at play, given that male senators have battled health problems in the past but didn’t face similar pressure to leave Washington.
Sens. Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, and John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat, recently returned to Capitol Hill after health-related absences but did not face pressure from within their respective caucuses to resign.
The Economist/YouGov conducted web-based interviews for its poll April 15-18 among 1,500 U.S. adults. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.