(TheRedAlertNews.com) – A recent poll reveals that a significant number of Democrats believe Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) should resign due to her ongoing health-related absence.
The Economist/YouGov poll found that 65% of Americans, including 64% of Democrats, feel Feinstein should step down because of her more than a month-long absence.
The 89-year-old senator was hospitalized last month with shingles and has been recovering at home, leading to calls for her resignation from some Democrats and other officials.
The poll also showed that 78% of Americans who view Feinstein unfavorably believe she should resign.
Surprisingly, 64% who have a favorable opinion of her also think she should resign. Additionally, 41% of Americans believe that old age makes the work of members of Congress more difficult rather than providing them with wisdom and experience.
These calls for Feinstein’s resignation have raised concerns about a possible double standard between male and female lawmakers. Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have both taken health-related absences, but neither faced calls to resign from their colleagues.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) highlighted this issue last week: “It’s interesting to me. I don’t know what political agendas are at work that are going after Sen. Feinstein in that way.” She added, “I’ve never seen them go after a man who was sick in the Senate in that way.”
In response to the growing calls for her resignation, Feinstein requested a temporary replacement for her seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her absence has stalled judicial nominations, but Republicans denied the request, leaving Democrats to wait for Feinstein’s return to the Senate.
The Economist/YouGov poll was conducted from April 15-18 among 1,500 Americans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
