Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said on Monday he will seek to become the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee next year, after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said she will step down from the position, Axios reports.

“Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will not pursue leadership of the high-profile Senate Judiciary Committee or any other committee next year, taking a dramatic step back following pressure from progressives who questioned her willingness to use tough, partisan politics to confirm Biden administration Supreme Court picks and other judicial nominations,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Said Feinstein: “California is a huge state confronting two existential threats — wildfire and drought — that are only getting worse with climate change. In the next Congress, I plan to increase my attention on those two crucial issues.”

Carl Bernstein reports that 21 Republican Senators — in conversations with colleagues, staff members, lobbyists and White House aides — have repeatedly expressed extreme contempt for Donald Trump and his fitness to be president.

They are: Rob Portman, Lamar Alexander, Ben Sasse, Roy Blunt, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, John Cornyn, John Thune, Mitt Romney, Mike Braun, Todd Young, Tim Scott, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, Chuck Grassley, Richard Burr, Pat Toomey, Martha McSally, Jerry Moran, Pat Roberts and Richard Shelby.

Said Bernstein: “With few exceptions, their craven public silence has helped enable Trump’s most grievous conduct—including undermining and discrediting the US the electoral system.”

Sen Rick Scott (R-FL) announced he tested positive for COVID-19.

“Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), one of two Republican senators from Georgia facing runoff elections in January, began making large and ultimately profitable purchases of shares in a Navy contractor in 2018 just before taking over as chair of a Senate subcommittee overseeing the Navy fleet,” the New York Times reports.

NBC News: “The Republican Senate leader told members in a closed-door lunch on Tuesday to ‘be careful’ and make sure they take the necessary precautions against catching the virus.”

“McConnell’s latest admonishment comes as Senate Republicans are trying to accomplish what they can in the final weeks of Donald Trump’s lame-duck presidency, stretched thin and getting little help from a president focused on fighting the results of the election.”

“There are a lot of items on McConnell’s agenda in the final weeks of the year, including passing a government funding bill by December 11 to avoid a shut down, trying to find agreement on coronavirus aid and approving final appointments before President-elect Joe Biden takes over the White House in January.”

Politico: “Two months before Joe Biden assumes the presidency, Senate Republicans are racing to install a series of conservative nominees that will outlast Donald Trump. While Trump still refuses to concede the election, the Senate GOP is moving quickly to ensure that the president’s stamp sticks to the Federal Elections Commission, Federal Reserve Board, the federal judiciary and beyond.”

Staff members at the Sergeant at Arms office asked Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) to break up a photo she was taking with her staff — none of whom were wearing masks — in the U.S. Capitol, CNN reports.

Nicholas Connors, a former staffer for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), writes in The Bulwark:

“What several years ago was a head scratching question—What happened to Lindsey Graham?—is now pretty clear. For Graham, being a United States Senator isn’t about helping Americans or advancing principles. It’s about swimming in the pool of power and feeding off the scraps the big fish leave behind. In short: Lindsey Graham is everything that’s wrong with our political system.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who is 87 years old, announced he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) a “complete ass” for asking that fellow lawmakers wear masks while in the Senate chamber, The Hill reports.