Pressure mounts on Dianne Feinstein to resign.
The 89-year-old Democratic senator, the oldest in the United States, has been absent since March due to a particularly violent shingles and at the moment it is not clear when she will be able to return to work.
Her absence in the Senate, where Democrats have a narrow majority, is blocking many of the judge appointments decided by Joe Biden, limiting the administration's action and raising controversy among Democrats.
Many liberals behind the scenes are calling for his resignation to avoid holding the Senate hostage.
For now, the White House asks for patience with the Californian senator, although aware of the delays that her absence risks having on the president's agenda.
The Feinstein case is fueling the debate on the advanced age of the leaders of the Democratic party and above all on Biden, the octogenarian president who wants to run again for the White House.