Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) had to tell Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) twice to step down as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee because she forgot about the first conversation, a new report claims.
The 87-year-old senator "wasn’t really all that aware of the extent to which she’d been compromised" as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, a source told the New Yorker. Schumer had to confront Feinstein twice about stepping down in a "distressing" conversation after she forgot about the first conversation. "It was like Groundhog Day, but with the pain fresh each time," the source said.
The report also said Feinstein has issues with short-term memory, frequently forgetting briefings she receives from staff and becoming upset when she gets confused by briefings. One source compared the situation to taking away car keys from an elderly relative.
"The staff is in such a bad position," a former Senate aide said. "They have to defend her and make her seem normal."
Feinstein announced last month that she will be stepping down as the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress. She faced backlash from left-wing groups for not being aggressive enough during the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, who went on to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
Feinstein's term will end in 2024 when she is 91 years old.