U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has renewed his call for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to resign, The Hill reports. 

Khanna did so during a recent interview with MSNBC's Alex Wagner.

"First, let me say, I admire her career," Khanna said. "She has had an extraordinary career. But it’s sad for anyone to see and it’s sad for her own colleagues to see."

The congressman added, "I’m hopeful that people who are close to her can talk to her and just say, ‘Look, end your service with dignity. Step aside, let the governor appoint someone.'"

Background

The 89-year-old Feinstein is set to resign at the end of her current term, but many progressive Democrats, like Khanna, have been calling upon Feinstein to resign early.

Those calls intensified during Feinstein's recent multi-month absence from the Senate. The absence followed a shingles diagnosis.

Feinstein's absence has been problematic for President Joe Biden and her fellow Democrats. For one thing, the Democrats only have a 51-49 majority in the U.S. Senate, meaning that every vote is needed. And, perhaps even more problematic, is that Feinstein's absence from the Senate Judiciary Committee has slowed down the advancement of Biden's judicial nominees.

It is for these reasons that some Democrats have been calling upon Feinstein to resign so that she can be replaced. In this regard, Khanna has been one of the most vocal Democrats.

In April, he tweeted:

It’s time for @SenFeinstein to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people.

The latest

Khanna, this past week, renewed his call for Feinstein to resign after a recent piece from the New York Times. 

The article's title sums up its contents: "Feinstein suffered more complications from illness than were publicly disclosed."

The Times reports:

The shingles spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The virus also brought on a previously unreported case of encephalitis, a rare but potentially debilitating complication of shingles that a spokesman confirmed on Thursday after The New York Times first revealed it, saying that the condition had “resolved itself” in March.

This explains why Feinstein, during her recent return to the Senate, looked as she did.

Despite her health troubles and despite the calls for her resignation, Feinstein continues to insist upon serving out the remainder of her term.