Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has rebuffed attempts by Democrats to replace California Senator Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee temporarily. Feinstein, aged 89, was diagnosed with shingles in February and has been absent from the Senate since then. Democrats say her absence is holding up President Joe Biden's judicial nominees. However, McConnell claimed that a situational switch could result in Democrats pushing through their worst and unqualified nominees. He labelled the move as "extremely unusual", saying that Republicans wouldn't bar a partially absent colleague from the committee to enable Democrats to push through the controversial and unqualified nominees.

There have been calls from Democratic lawmakers for Feinstein to resign, but she has defended her position and requested her replacement on the panel until her return. However, any move to change committee appointments will require at least 60 votes to pass, and with Democrats narrowly ahead with a 51-49 majority, narrow margins are expected. Republican senators, including John Cornyn of Texas, have vowed to withhold their support to confirm the controversial and unqualified nominees as long as Feinstein is absent. Meanwhile, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa has called the attempts to remove Feinstein "anti-human treatment".