Congressional Black Caucus urges Calif. Gavin Newsom to appoint Rep. Barbara Lee to Feinstein's seat

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus on Sunday urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

“She is the only person with the courage, the vision, and the record to eradicate poverty, face down the fossil fuel industry, defend our democracy, and tirelessly advance the progressive agenda,” CBC Chairman Steven Horsford, D-Nev., wrote Sunday in a letter to Newsom. “For these reasons, we strongly urge you to appoint Congresswoman Barbara lee to the United States Senate.”

Newsom, a Democrat, is expected to soon choose a successor to Feinstein, who died at age 90 last week. She was the longest-serving woman in the Senate, known for her advocacy of restrictions on guns and trying to find common ground with Republicans.

A source close to Newsom said Friday that he will announce an interim appointment in the coming days.

Newsom has said he would pick a Black women if either of California's two Senate seats opened up. He also said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he intends to make an “interim” appointment and not choose any of the candidates running for Feinstein’s seat — who include Lee and Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter — because it would unjustly tip the scales in the race.

In February, Feinstein announced her plans to retire at the end of her term in 2024 as she faced calls to resign over health concerns.

Lee officially announced her long-awaited Senate bid about a week after Feinstein announced her retirement plans. She jumped into the race against Schiff and Porter, well-funded Democrats who are also seeking the seat.

In his letter to Newsom, Horsford nodded to Lee’s legislative record as a progressive.

“From authoring California’s first Violence Against Women Act to casting the lone vote against the Authorized Military Use of Force to saving 25 million people from the scourge of AIDS; from expanding SNAP, to authoring the Rents’ Bill of Rights, and introducing the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act; Congresswoman Barbara Lee is — without question — the best choice for this appointment,” Horsford wrote.

“Her unparalleled legislative record, longstanding leadership in the Democratic Party, and deep commitment to justice and equality cannot be equalled,” he added.

He also noted Lee’s personal hardships before her career in politics, such as her escape from an abusive marriage, her experiencing homelessness while she raised two children as a single mother and her opening a mental health clinic to serve vulnerable people in her community.

Newsom’s office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the caucus’ letter.

The CBC endorsed Lee after Republican senators said they won’t try to prevent Democrats from replacing Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee.

Feinstein’s death left Democrats without a majority on the key panel, which is now split 10 to 10 between Democrats and Republicans. The even vote prevents President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees from advancing out of the committee if Democrats lack the GOP support needed to send any potential judges to the full Senate.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com