'I’ve had a long and serious talk with her': Schumer sidesteps chatter over booting Feinstein after Supreme Court hearings

Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (right) handling of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings has been a recent source of internal Democratic strife. (Getty Images)
Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (right) handling of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings has been a recent source of internal Democratic strife. (Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to shed light on the internal party dynamics surrounding Senator Dianne Feinstein’s leadership of Democrats on the Judiciary Committee after liberals skewered her for being too deferential to Republicans at the Amy Coney Barrett hearings.

“I’ve had a long and serious talk with Senator Feinstein. That’s all I’m going to say about it right now,” Mr Schumer said at a press conference on Tuesday of Ms Feinstein’s handling last week of the battle over Ms Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination.

Ms Feinstein, a California Democrat who has served in the Senate since 1992, was outwardly cordial with Ms Barrett last week, and even commended the Judiciary Committee’s Republican chairman, Lindsey Graham, for his “leadership” and “fairness” at the hearings.

Other Democrats, such as Minnesota’s Amy Klobucher, called the hearings a “sham” and argued they were “illegitimate” as millions of Americans had already cast early ballots for the 2020 presidential election.