Chuck Grassley defends Dianne Feinstein against calls to push her out of Senate

Jack Birle

May 03, 12:38 PM May 03, 12:38 PM

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is defending Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) against calls to resign over her extended absence from the Senate as she recovers from shingles.

Grassley, 89, told CNN that it is "a shame" that some are calling for Feinstein, 89, to resign. Feinstein, who is in California as she recovers from a bout of shingles, has been out since February. The 89-year-old has said she intends to return to the Senate.

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS PESTER NEWSOM WITH REQUESTS TO REPLACE MISSING SENATOR

“I think it’s a shame that they’ve been picking on her for two years,” Grassley said.

The Iowa Republican also lamented how those calling for Feinstein to resign are "picking on somebody that's older" and that they are not showing "proper respect."

"They're picking on somebody that's older, and it just doesn't show the proper respect," said Grassley. "So, let's just leave it this way. They should leave her alone. She's sick."

Grassley also denounced how Feinstein was not selected to be the chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee when Democrats took control of the chamber in 2021. Feinstein had served as ranking member from 2017 until 2021, but Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was selected to be chairman under the Democratic majority.

Feinstein was released from the hospital in March and has already said she will not seek another term for her Senate seat, which she was first elected to in 1992. The race for her seat is already shaping up to be a fierce battle between Golden State Democrats.

If she were to resign, it would mean Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) would get to appoint a replacement until an election is held for the seat. Newsom appointed Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) to fill the vacancy left by then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) when she resigned to become vice president in 2021.

Having to appoint Feinstein's successor could be a political nightmare for Newsom amid the hotly contested primary for the seat, and Newsom has said he has been engulfed in communications from people trying to replace Feinstein.

Pence to go to Iowa State Fair together with Grassley amid 2024 speculation

Julia Johnson

August 13, 07:00 AM August 13, 07:01 AM

Former Vice President Mike Pence is headed to Iowa whilst speculation of a 2024 presidential bid continues.

Pence is headed to the vital state, wherever on Aug. 19, he will "provide as the unique visitor at a lunch in aid of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley." Afterward, he'll head to the state honest alongside Grassley and many other Iowa politicians.

TRUMP Remaining INVESTIGATED FOR ESPIONAGE ACT VIOLATION, UNSEALED FBI WARRANT Exhibits

The Iowa Point out Truthful has extensive been a common end for politicians with presidential aspirations — or significant ambitions in general. Presidential candidates on each sides of the aisle frequently show up at the fair, with the hopes of getting traction in the state. Iowa's presidential caucuses are traditionally held just before the elections of any other point out.

This won't be Pence's very first journey to the truthful, either. He earlier attended in 2016 in advance of the presidential election in which the ticket of former President Donald Trump and Pence won versus Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and functioning mate Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), and he has been back to the fairgrounds since.

Pence has been making the rounds across the state, campaigning for a number of state and countrywide candidates. Not too long ago, numerous of the former vice president's endorsed candidates unsuccessful to gain primaries in the two Arizona and Wisconsin, dropping to their Trump-endorsed counterparts.

Notably, the blessing of Trump has been a lot more valuable to Republican hopefuls than that of Pence, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, or Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), all of whom are also noticed as probable GOP contenders for 2024.

Regardless of Trump's plain endorsement power, new revelations about the FBI's raid of his Mar-a-Lago home could spell issues for his likely 2024 operate. Nevertheless, it is too early to decide voters' sights on the saga, as the search warrant was only unsealed on Friday.

The warrant cites 18 U.S. Code 793, which is portion of the Espionage Act, and is associated to “gathering, transmitting, or dropping defense details.”