Join the Wall Street Journal for the WSJ Risk and Compliance Forum happening online May 9th.

Together with experts, we'll unpack the latest Russia sanctions, data privacy laws, climate risks, and more.

You'll take away a playbook of practical advice that you can use and implement on day one.

Register now at WSJ.com, slash risk, and save 20% on your ticket using code podcast.

From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

California Senator Diane Feinstein faces calls to resign as a lengthy absence

blocked President Biden's judicial nominees. Plus, the Congressional Budget Office says the

federal deficit for the first six months of the year was $1.1 trillion. Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson

with the Wall Street Journal. We are joined today by my colleagues,

columnist Kim Strassel, and editorial board member Kate Batchelder O'Dell.

Senator Feinstein is 89 years old, and rumors have circulated for years that her grasp of the

job was beginning to slip. But what's happened now is her absence because of treatment for shingles

is blocking President Biden's judicial nominees from getting out of the Judiciary Committee.

Feinstein has not provided a timeline for coming back to Washington. She said this week,

I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it is safe for me to travel.

In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco.

But now that this has become a problem for President Biden's priority, some of her co-partisans

are beginning to break ranks. Here, listen to this, this is Congressman Rokana on Fox News.

A lot of respect for Senator Feinstein. She's unable to fulfill her duties. And I guess I don't

know any other job where if you're unable to fulfill your duties, you can continue to have the

position. So I think she should do the dignified thing. I respect her years of public service,

and she should know when it's time to step aside.

...