Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) attends a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on judicial nominations on Capitol Hill on September 6, 2023, in Washington, DC. During the hearing, the committee considered five judges for federal vacancies. Her office announced her death at the age of 90 on September 29, 2023.
The office of US Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announced her death Friday (September 29) at the age of 90.
The venerable Democrat, whose legacy centered around gun control measures, as well as finding common ground with Republicans during her three-decade tenure, was the longest-serving US senator prior to her death. She was also the longest-serving female senator and the longest-serving senator from California.
"Senator Feinstein never backed away from a fight for what was just and right," Feinstein's chief of staff James Sauls said in a statement. "At the same time, she was always willing to work with anyone, even those she disagreed with, if it meant bettering the lives of Californians or the betterment of our nation."
Feinstein announced last February that her current term would be her last as she was planning to retire. She also had faced calls for her resignation over concerns about her health.
The senator was married three times - she divorced her first husband, and her second (Bertram Feinstein) and third (Richard Blum) died before her. She was survived by her daughter, Katherine Feinstein, a San Francisco County Superior Court judge; her son-in-law, Rick Mariano; and her granddaughter, Eileen Feinstein Mariano.
Democrats Mourn Feinstein's Death
Tributes and messages of mourning rang out all across the Democratic Party. Chief among them was US President Joe Biden, who called his former Senate colleague "a passionate defender of civil liberties and a strong voice for national security policies that keep us safe while honoring our values."
"I've served with more U.S. Senators than just about anyone," he said in a statement after the announcement of Feinstein's intention to retire. "I can honestly say that Dianne Feinstein is one of the very best."
A spokesperson for the senator told reporters in late February that she was in her home state to deal with a "health matter" but hoped to return to Washington soon.
With her death, Democrat Representatives Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee are running to fill Feinstein's seat.
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Californian Who Made a Difference
Feinstein began her political career when the then-president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors became the city's acting mayor following the assassinations of mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk, the first gay elected official in California. She was then elected to her own term as the first female mayor of San Francisco soon afterward.
Feinstein was also influential in state and national politics. Her influence convinced California Governor Gavin Newsom to have Alex Padilla, then California's secretary of state, to fill Kamala Harris's Senate seat after she was elected vice president.
Level-Headed Gun Control Advocate
Feinstein was a vocal advocate of gun control measures, NBC News reported, as she championed the assault weapons ban that then-President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994. She also headed the Senate Intelligence Committee, which extensively reviewed the CIA's detention and interrogation program developed after 9/11 and led to legislation barring the use of torture in their interrogation methods.
While a Democrat, she was known for finding common ground with Republicans, which became a point of criticism that the liberal faction of the party used against her. She differed from them on a number of issues, including opposing single-payer, government-run health care, as well as the ambitious Green New Deal climate proposal, which she argued was politically and fiscally unfeasible.
Feinstein's habit of not always toeing the party line to appease progressive colleagues came to a head during the 2020 confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, when she embraced Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (SC), who then chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, and thanked him for how he had conducted the hearing. This prompted swift calls for Feinstein to be removed from the committee, which she ultimately did by stepping down shortly after.
She also preferred following Senate traditions than changing them, but she was also open to potentially altering filibuster rules in a 2021 statement if Democrats were unable to pass key parts of their legislative agenda, including voting rights reforms, gun control, and a reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act.
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