Dianne Feinstein, a California state senator who served for more than three decades and was a pioneer for women’s participation in American politics, has died at the age of 90.
Feinstein is the oldest member of the US Senate and voted last Thursday.
For months, the veteran Democrat has faced questions about memory and cognitive problems.
In April, she was hospitalized after a “mild fall” at home, the latest in a series of health problems.
In a statement, Ms. Feinstein’s office said she died overnight at her home in Washington DC. “Senator Feinstein is a force of nature who has had an incredible impact on our country and her home state,” the statement added. “She leaves behind an extraordinary and undeniable legacy.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom must now name his replacement. He previously pledged to nominate a black woman for the remainder of his term, which ends in 2025.
Born in 1933, Feinstein grew up in San Francisco and graduated from Stanford University before being elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1969.
This election marked the beginning of a long career in public service, which made her the first female mayor of San Francisco and eventually led her to become a senator in 1992. She had previously announced her intention to retire at the end of next year, but has increasingly resisted calls for her to step down. Several prominent Democrats, including congressmen Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, have announced they will run for his Senate seat.
In a statement after her death, US President Joe Biden said Ms Feinstein “made history in many ways and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations”.
Earlier this year, she spent nearly three months away from the Capitol because of shingles. Upon her return, she took on lighter duties and moved around the U.S. Capitol in a wheelchair. She sometimes seemed confused during interviews, committee hearings or floor votes.
Ms. Feinstein is known as a strong supporter of gun control measures and was a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994.
In 1978, she became mayor of San Francisco after her predecessor, George Moscone, and City Councilman Harvey Milk were shot.
She later recounted that she rushed to Mayor Moscone’s office and discovered a gunshot wound while feeling for a pulse – an experience that she said left an indelible impression on her.
As a senator, Feinstein was the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, where she led a multi-year review of the foreign terrorist interrogation program CIA controversy following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The review eventually led to legislation banning the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as simulated drowning on terrorism suspects.
Ms. Feinstein is also the first woman to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee.
Dianne Feinstein, a California state senator who served for more than three decades and was a pioneer for women’s participation in American politics, has died at the age of 90.
Feinstein is the oldest member of the US Senate and voted last Thursday.
For months, the veteran Democrat has faced questions about memory and cognitive problems.
In April, she was hospitalized after a “mild fall” at home, the latest in a series of health problems.
In a statement, Ms. Feinstein’s office said she died overnight at her home in Washington DC. “Senator Feinstein is a force of nature who has had an incredible impact on our country and her home state,” the statement added. “She leaves behind an extraordinary and undeniable legacy.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom must now name his replacement. He previously pledged to nominate a black woman for the remainder of his term, which ends in 2025.
Born in 1933, Feinstein grew up in San Francisco and graduated from Stanford University before being elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1969.
This election marked the beginning of a long career in public service, which made her the first female mayor of San Francisco and eventually led her to become a senator in 1992. She had previously announced her intention to retire at the end of next year, but has increasingly resisted calls for her to step down. Several prominent Democrats, including congressmen Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, have announced they will run for his Senate seat.
In a statement after her death, US President Joe Biden said Ms Feinstein “made history in many ways and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations”.
Earlier this year, she spent nearly three months away from the Capitol because of shingles. Upon her return, she took on lighter duties and moved around the U.S. Capitol in a wheelchair. She sometimes seemed confused during interviews, committee hearings or floor votes.
Ms. Feinstein is known as a strong supporter of gun control measures and was a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994.
In 1978, she became mayor of San Francisco after her predecessor, George Moscone, and City Councilman Harvey Milk were shot.
She later recounted that she rushed to Mayor Moscone’s office and discovered a gunshot wound while feeling for a pulse – an experience that she said left an indelible impression on her.
As a senator, Feinstein was the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, where she led a multi-year review of the foreign terrorist interrogation program CIA controversy following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The review eventually led to legislation banning the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as simulated drowning on terrorism suspects.
Ms. Feinstein is also the first woman to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee.