Schumer’s notes say Feinstein ‘hopeful’ to return to Senate next week
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) holds sheets of paper with talking points on debt ceiling legislation during a press conference on Capitol Hill on May 2.
By Kristin Wilson, Nicky Robertson and Lauren Koenig, CNN
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not address the absence of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, but typed up notes show the Democratic leader had prepared an answer should a question about Feinstein come up.
“I spoke with Sen. Feinstein yesterday. We are both hopeful she can return next week,” the notes, which were captured in a photo, read.
Feinstein has been absent from the Senate after being hospitalized with shingles, creating headaches for Democrats in the narrowly divided Senate.
A Schumer spokesperson confirmed to CNN the contents of the notes.
A spokesperson for Feinstein said in a statement, however, that there is still no set timeline for the senator’s return to Washington.
“Senator Feinstein continues to make progress in her recovery, however, we don’t have a timeline yet for her return to Washington which is dependent on her medical team saying it is safe to travel,” the spokesperson said.
Feinstein is a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee where her absence has created issues for Democrats as the panel works to process judicial nominees. Several House Democrats have called for Feinstein to resign as a result.
In April, Feinstein said that she had asked to be “temporarily” replaced on the Judiciary Committee while she continued to recover from shingles, but the California Democrat remained committed to returning to the Senate.
Not long after, however, Republicans formally blocked a request from Schumer to temporarily replace Feinstein on the committee.
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CNN’s Manu Raju and Haley Talbot contributed.
