While the calls continue to grow for U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez to resign.

At this point, more than half of the Senate Democratic Caucus calling for him to step aside even after he addressed his colleagues in a private meeting yesterday.

Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has said he'd consider an expulsion resolution against him, forcing Menendez out if he won't resign.

Such a move hasn't been made in more than 160 years.

It would require two thirds of the Senate to be approved, and that doesn't look likely as there are several Democratic senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, insisting the legal process should play out and Menendez should have the chance to defend himself in court.

But here in New Jersey, one Republican legislator is proposing a ballot question that would require Menendez or any politician to resign under such circumstances.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan takes a look at who's weighing in on which side and what it all means for the balance of power in Washington.

Indicted Senator Bob Menendez defended his adamant refusal to resign during a closed door caucus in Washington yesterday.

He wants Senate Democrats support after more than half of them urged him to step down, including Jersey colleague Cory Booker.

Menendez knows the value of his vote and his tone was anything but apologetic.

We'll continue to cast bills in behalf of the people that I have for 18 years, and I'll show you those votes.

They'll be looking forward for me to pass the U.S. Senate.

Democrats hold a razor thin 51 to 49 margin.

And the death of Democrat Dianne Feinstein after a long illness only underscores the problematic political math.

So obviously, today's news of the death of Dianne Feinstein changes the calculation literally for Democrats.

So now they have to be even more concerned about losing the numbers they need to push through anything.

Rutgers Kelly Dittmar thinks this might buy Menendez at least some short term relief, particularly from Senate colleagues like Pennsylvania's John Fetterman.

He's not only called for Menendez to step down, but said he'd vote to expel his fellow Democrat from the Senate.

So I actually wonder, right, what this will mean for some of the messaging around Senator Menendez and some of the pressure on him to resign.

It wouldn't be surprising if some of that slows down until we have a replacement for Senator Feinstein.

Unless Democrats see some imminent liability, some imminent political damage.

If Schumer were to go to him and say, you're costing us support here, or if Murphy were to say, you know, the legislature is at risk, there's nothing that's going to back him out of being dug in to finish out his term.

Writers Michael Rasmussen says the Senate's expelled only one member since the Civil War that Menendez hangs on while facing a second federal corruption trial.

The first ended in a hung jury.

Outrages a lot of people.

To have a U.S. senator under indictment like this again and very little being done about it.

Other than calling for resignation, simply not.

Enough.

Assembly Minority Leader John Demos dug out a 28 resolution that would let New Jersey voters amend the state constitution so indicted elected officials would be suspended from office without compensation until the charges are dismissed.

The person is acquitted of the charges or the persons convicted.

The Republican says Menendez can't properly serve Jersey constituents while fighting these charges.

He was indicted before he went to trial, before he didn't resign.

Understood.

But he still couldn't do the job, as he would normally do without an indictment hanging over his head.

DeMaio says it would be up to the governor to select an interim replacement for a U.S. senator.

Governor Murphy, who called for Menendez to step down just hours after the indictment, was unsealed, won't comment.

We are a country where you're innocent until proven guilty.

And even in my statement asking Senator Menendez to resign, we made that point.

But I won't speculate on any potential legislation.

Moreover, Rasmussen believes it would take a federal constitutional amendment to, in effect, morph ball a sitting U.S. senator.

For now, folks on both sides of the aisle are resigned, except, of course, for Senator Menendez.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.