Feinstein's last years in office were marred by poor health and concerns about her mental acuity.[14][15][16][17] In February 2023, Feinstein announced she would not seek reelection in 2024.[18] Seven months later, she died in office at the age of 90.[19][20][21][22] By the time of her death, Feinstein was the oldest sitting U.S. senator and member of Congress. She was also the longest-serving U.S. senator from California and the longest-tenured female senator in history.[23][24]
She graduated fromConvent of the Sacred Heart High School in 1951 and fromStanford University in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts in history.[30] Feinstein's mother was abusive, prone to alcohol-fueled outbursts[31] and, according to Feinstein's sister Yvonne Banks, emotionally unpredictable. Later, Feinstein's mother received a brain scan that found that the part of her brain responsible for judgment hadatrophied, "possibly because of complications from a severe illness as a child".[32][33]
Feinstein reportedly identified as half-Russian.[34]
Early political career
Feinstein in the late 1970s. (Future husbandRichard C. Blum is standing behind her.)
From 1955 to 1956, Feinstein was a fellow at theCoro Foundation in San Francisco, an organization that provides young people with political experience.[35] GovernorPat Brown appointed her to the California Women's Parole Board in 1960. She served on the board until 1966.[36]
San Francisco Board of Supervisors and assassination attempt
Feinstein was elected to theSan Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969.[37][38] She remained on the board for nine years, serving as its first female president from 1970 to 1971, with additional tenures from 1974 to 1975 and January to December 1978.[39][40][41]
During her tenure on the Board of Supervisors, she unsuccessfully ran for mayor of San Francisco twice, in1971 against MayorJoseph Alioto, and in1975, when she lost the contest for a runoff slot (againstGeorge Moscone) to SupervisorJohn Barbagelata.[42]
Because of her position, Feinstein became a target of theNew World Liberation Front, ananti-capitalist terrorist group that carried out bombings in California in the 1970s. In 1976, the NWLF placed a bomb on the windowsill of her home that failed to explode.[43] The group later shot out the windows of a beach house she owned.[44]
After San Francisco MayorGeorge Moscone and SupervisorHarvey Milk wereassassinated by former SupervisorDan White on November 27, 1978, Feinstein became acting mayor, as she was president of theBoard of Supervisors.[45] Supervisors John Molinari,Ella Hill Hutch,Ron Pelosi, Robert Gonzales, andGordon Lau endorsed her for an appointment as mayor by the Board of Supervisors. Gonzales initially ran to be appointed by the Board of Supervisors as mayor, but dropped out.[46] The Board of Supervisors voted six to two to appoint Feinstein as mayor.[47] She was inaugurated by Chief JusticeRose Bird of theSupreme Court of California on December 4, 1978, becoming San Francisco's first female mayor.[48] Molinari was selected to replace Feinstein as president of the Board of Supervisors by a vote of eight to two.[49]
Feinstein riding acable car in San Francisco during her tenure as mayor,c.1978–1988
One of Feinstein's first challenges as mayor was the state of theSan Francisco cable car system, which was shut down for emergency repairs in 1979; an engineering study concluded that it needed comprehensive rebuilding at a cost of $60 million. Feinstein helped win federal funding for the bulk of the work. The system closed for rebuilding in 1982 and was completed in time for the1984 Democratic National Convention.[50] Feinstein also oversaw policies to increase the number of San Francisco's high-rise buildings.[51]
Feinstein was seen as a relatively moderate Democrat in one of the country's most liberal cities. As a supervisor, she was considered part of the centrist bloc that included White and generally opposed Moscone. As mayor, Feinstein angered the city's large gay community in 1982 by vetoing legislation which would have extended city-employee benefits todomestic partners.[52] In the1980 presidential election, while a majority ofBay Area Democrats continued to support SenatorTed Kennedy'sprimary challenge to PresidentJimmy Carter even after it was clear Kennedy could not win, Feinstein strongly supported the Carter–Mondale ticket. She was given a high-profile speaking role on the opening night of the AugustDemocratic National Convention, urging delegates to reject the Kennedydelegates' proposal to "open" the convention, thereby allowing delegates to ignore their states' popular vote, a proposal that was soundly defeated.[53]
In the run-up to the 1984 Democratic National Convention, there was considerable media and public speculation that Mondale might pick Feinstein as his running mate.[54] He choseGeraldine Ferraro instead.[55] In 1982, Feinstein proposed banning handguns in San Francisco,[56] and became subject to arecall attempt organized by theWhite Panther Party.[57] She wonthe recall election and finished her second term as mayor on January 8, 1988.[58]
Feinstein revealed sensitive details about the hunt forserial killerRichard Ramirez at a 1985 press conference, antagonizing detectives by publicizing details of his crimes known only to law enforcement, and thus jeopardizing their investigation.[59]
Feinstein made anunsuccessful bid forgovernor of California in 1990. She won the Democratic nomination, but lost the general election to U.S. SenatorPete Wilson, who resigned from the Senate to assume the governorship. In 1992, Feinstein was fined $190,000 for failure to properly report campaign contributions and expenditures in that campaign.[61]
In 1991, Wilson resigned from the Senate to take office as governor of California.[62] Feinstein ran for U.S. Senate in a 1992 special election to complete Wilson's term.[63] In the Democratic primary, she defeated Joseph Alioto andCalifornia State ControllerGray Davis.[64] In November, she faced RepublicanJohn Seymour, whom Wilson had appointed to the Senate the previous year.[65][62] Feinstein won the November 3 special election, 54.3%–38%.[66][67]
Like Feinstein,Barbara Boxer was first elected to the Senate on November 3, 1992.[68] Because Feinstein was elected to complete an unexpired term, she was sworn in as a senator in November 1992,[69] while Boxer did not take office until January 1993; therefore, Feinstein became California'ssenior senator. She also became the first female Jewish U.S. senator.[70][71][72] Feinstein and Boxer were the first female pair of U.S. senators to represent any state at the same time.[70]
Feinstein has been described as "a titan of US political history who notched countless legislative achievements" in her Senate career.[87] She was known for her work on gun control issues. In 1994, she spearheaded the passage of a federal assault weapons ban.[88][89] In the 2000s and 2010s, she investigated "the Central Intelligence Agency's program of detention and interrogation after the Sept. 11 attacks".[88]
The main page of Sen. Feinstein's website, September 29, 2023
In 2009, Feinstein chaired the first inaugural ceremony of PresidentBarack Obama.[90] She was the first woman to chair theSenate Rules Committee (2007–2009) and the first to chair theSelect Committee on Intelligence (2009–2015).[91][12] Feinstein became the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017, and was the first woman to hold that position.[92] On March 28, 2021, she became the longest-serving U.S. senator from California ever, surpassingHiram Johnson.[24] On November 5, 2022, Feinstein became the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history.[93]
In the fall of 2020, media reports indicated that Feinstein was experiencing cognitive decline and short-term memory loss. She responded that there was no cause for concern and that she had no plans to leave the Senate.[94][95][14] After her performance atAmy Coney Barrett's October 2020 Supreme Court nomination hearings was criticized, Feinstein did not seek to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee or serve as its ranking member in 2021.[96][97] Articles inThe New Yorker andThe New York Times cited unnamed Democratic senators and aides expressing concern over her age and ability to lead the committee.[14][94] In mid-2022,NPR and other outlets ran stories questioning Feinstein's cognition.[98][99][100] On October 22, 2022, Feinstein said that due to family matters, she was not interested in serving aspresident pro tempore in 2023; the position is traditionally held by the senior member of the Senate's majority party.[23][101]
In February 2023, Feinstein said she would not seek reelection in 2024 and that she intended to retire upon the completion of her term.[18][102]
Feinstein's two-month hospitalization forshingles in early 2023 effectively stalled many of theBiden administration's judicial and executive nominees.[103][104] Feinstein served on theJudiciary Committee, which was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans without her.[103] RepresentativesRo Khanna,Dean Phillips, andAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, along with a group of California progressive organizations and theNew York Times editorial board, publicly urged Feinstein to resign.[105][106][107][108][109] She resisted calls to resign.[110] However, she requested temporary removal from the Judiciary Committee; Senate Republicans declined this request.[111]
Feinstein returned to the Senate on May 10, 2023,[112] amid continuing concern about her capacity to serve.[113][114][115]
Committee assignments
Feinstein was the first woman to chair theSenate Rules Committee (2007–2009) and the first to chair theSelect Committee on Intelligence (2009–2015).[12] She became the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017, and was the first woman to hold that position.[92] Her committee assignments for the 118th Congress were as follows:[116]
In 2018, theLos Angeles Times wrote that Feinstein had emphasized her centrism when she first ran for statewide offices in the 1990s (when California was more conservative than it became during Feinstein's later career). Over time, she moved leftward as California became one of the most Democratic states in the nation.[121][122][123] In 2013,The New York Times called her a "liberal lioness".[124] Feinstein was known for her advocacy of gun control,[88] abortion access,[125] environmental protection,[126] and a strong national defense.[127][32][128]
Abortion
Feinstein supportedabortion rights during her Senate career.[125] In 2003, she voted against thePartial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, a proposal to banintact dilation and extraction, although the proposal eventually became law.[129][130] After the Supreme Court overturnedRoe v. Wade in 2022, Feinstein called for congressional action to protect abortion rights[131] and stated her support for lifting the Senate filibuster rule to allow such legislation to pass with a simple majority.[132]
Following Feinstein's death in 2023, American animal welfare activist and president of Animal Wellness ActionWayne Pacelle stated that Feinstein "was a giant on the national stage on animal welfare public policy."[133]
When Feinstein first ran for statewide office in 1990, she supportedcapital punishment.[121] In 2004, she called for the death penalty in the case of San Francisco police officer Isaac Espinoza, who was killed while on duty.[136] By 2018, she opposed capital punishment.[121][122]
Energy and environment
Climate change mitigation
In 2007, Feinstein led a bipartisan effort as part of the widerEnergy Independence and Security Act to significantly reduce automotive greenhouse gas emissions, which accounted for 26 percent of total U.S. emissions at the time.[137][138][139] Her legislation, the Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act, raisedcorporate average fuel economy standards for America's fleet of vehicles by at least 10 miles per gallon between 2010 and 2020 - the largest increase in fuel efficiency in almost three decades. Thereafter, said CAFE standards became subject to periodic adjustments by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration under theAdministrative Procedure Act.[140][h] As a result of Feinstein's legislation, average fleet fuel economy for new automobiles will climb to approximately 60 miles per gallon by 2032, cutting greenhouse gas emissions from passenger and commercial vehicles in half without impeding automotive performance or degrading traffic safety.[141][142]
During the110th Congress, Feinstein authored an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, mandating all major sources of greenhouse gasses to annually report their emissions to theEnvironmental Protection Agency.[143][144][145][i] These emissions disclosures in turn inform EPA's nationwide, multi-sector inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and sinks, which is submitted to the United Nations in accordance with theFramework Convention on Climate Change.[147]
Feinstein co-sponsored (withOklahoma RepublicanTom Coburn) an amendment through the Senate to the Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2011 that eliminated the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit.[148] The Senate passed the amendment on June 16, 2011. Introduced in 2004, the subsidy provided a 45-cent-per-gallon credit on pure ethanol, and a 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. These subsidies had resulted in an annual expenditure of $6 billion.[149][150]
In February 2019, when youth associated with theSunrise Movement confronted Feinstein about why she did not support theGreen New Deal, she told them, "there's no way to pay for it", and that it could not pass a Republican-controlled Senate. In a tweet after the confrontation, she said that she remained committed "to enact real, meaningful climate change legislation".[151] Conversely, the Sunrise Movement tweeted that Feinstein had reacted with "smugness and disrespect", and that "her reaction is why young people desperately want new leadership in Congress."[151]
Later in the116th and117th Congresses, Feinstein authored the Addressing Climate Financial Risk Act, to prepare U.S.financial institutions for risks posed by climate change.[152] While Feinstein's bill ultimately died in the Senate,President Biden issued an executive order containing several of its provisions, including directing theTreasury Department to study climate-related financial risks.[153] In addition, Feinstein co-sponsored withSenator Coons the Climate Action Rebate Act of 2019 - legislation that would create a nationwidecarbon fee and dividend program to decarbonize the American economy and transition it tonet-zero.[154] As with the Addressing Climate Financial Risk Act, the Climate Action Rebate Act also failed to make it out of committee. However, a separate battery storage tax credit bill co-sponsored by Feinstein was ultimately incorporated into theInflation Reduction Act, legislation she also supported.[155][156][157][158]
Lake Tahoe
Feinstein, who spent her childhood visiting the lake, regardedLake Tahoe as "a national treasure" and "the Jewel of the High Sierra".[159][160] She founded the Lake Tahoe Summit in 1997 and successfully authored the landmark Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2000.[161][162] This act of Congress formally created theLake Tahoe Basin Management Unit within theNational Forest System and authorized $900 million in federal spending over ten years for invasive species control, stormwater management, environmental protection, and fire risk mitigation projects throughout the Lake Tahoe watershed.[163] Later in 2016, Feinstein co-sponsored with senatorsBarbara Boxer,Harry Reid, andDean Heller a bipartisan seven-year extension of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, authorizing another $415 million to combat invasive species, improve water quality and forest health, restore habitat for fish and wildlife, and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.[164][165] She co-sponsored a second bipartisan, bicameral reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act's activities with senatorsCatherine Cortez Masto,Jacky Rosen, andAlex Padilla on March 1, 2023 – six months before her death.[166]
Public lands
Feinstein co-sponsored legislation in 2006 withBarbara Boxer that permanently protected approximately 300,000 acres of wilderness in Northern California, namely the King Range, Yolla-Bolly Middle Eel, and Trinity Alps wilderness areas, along with 21 miles of theBlack Butte River in Mendocino County.[167] TheKing Range Wilderness, part of theKing Range National Conservation Area, has the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline anywhere in the lower 48 states; itsLost Coast is often considered the "crown jewel" in theNational Landscape Conservation System.[168][169] The Yolla-Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness, which surrounds theMiddle Fork Eel River, hosts roughly half of California's summer-runsteelhead population. The river is the largest remaining wild run of these fish in the lower 48 states.[170][171] TheTrinity Alps Wilderness encompasses rugged mountains, alpine meadows, myriad pristine lakes and streams, 550 miles of maintained hiking trails, and California's third-largest swath of previously unprotected old-growth, predominantlyDouglas-fir forest.[172]
Perhaps Feinstein's greatest contribution to public lands conservation came through her advocacy for California'sMojave andSonoran deserts.[178] She authored landmark legislation in 1994 that establishedDeath Valley National Park,Joshua Tree National Park, andMojave National Preserve, and designated another 7.6 million acres of California desert as federal wilderness.[179][180] ThisCalifornia Desert Protection Act was followed in 2000 by Feinstein's Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act, designating 272,000 acres in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountain ranges as anational monument.[181] Later in 2016, Feinstein persuadedPresident Obama to createMojave Trails,Sand to Snow, andCastle Mountains national monuments under theAntiquities Act.[175][182][183] She also authored the California Desert Protection and Recreation Act as part of thebipartisan omnibus public lands package passed in 2019, furthering landscape conservation and outdoor recreation opportunities in the California desert.[184] The combined acreage of the 1994, 2000, and 2019 acts of Congress, in concert with the presidentially authorized national monument designations, protect the largest tract of public lands anywhere in the lower 48 states and the second-largest desert preserve on the planet.[175][182]
Foreign policy
China
Feinstein supported a conciliatory approach betweenChina and Taiwan and fostered increased dialogue between high-level Chinese representatives and U.S. senators during her first term as senator.[185] When asked about her relation with Beijing, Feinstein said, "I sometimes say that in my last life maybe I was Chinese."[185]
Feinstein criticized Beijing's missile tests near Taiwan and called for dismantlement of missiles pointed at the island.[185][186] She promoted stronger business ties between China and Taiwan over confrontation, and suggested that the U.S. patiently "use two-way trade across Taiwan Strait as a platform for more political dialogue and closer ties".[186]
She believed that deeper cross-strait economic integration "will one day lead to political integration and will ultimately provide the solution"[186] to theTaiwan issue.
On July 27, 2018, reports surfaced that a Chinese staff member who worked for 20 years as Feinstein's personal driver, gofer and liaison to the Asian-American community was caught reporting to China'sMinistry of State Security.[187][188] According to the reports, theFBI had contacted Feinstein five years earlier warning her about the employee. The employee was later interviewed by authorities and forced to retire by Feinstein.[189] No criminal charges were filed against him.[187]
Iran
Feinstein supported theIran nuclear deal framework in July 2015, saying that it would usher in "unprecedented & intrusive inspections to verify cooperation" by Iran.[190]
On June 7, 2017, Feinstein and SenatorBernie Sanders issued dual statements urging the Senate to forgo a vote for sanctions on Iran in response to theTehran attacks that occurred earlier in the day.[191]
Iraq
Feinstein voted for theIraq War and later said she regretted it.[192]
Feinstein opposed PresidentDonald Trump's decision torecognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying, "Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital—or relocating our embassy to Jerusalem—will spark violence and embolden extremists on both sides of the debate."[194]
Responding to reports that North Korea had achieved successful miniaturization ofnuclear warheads, Feinstein issued an August 8, 2017, statement insisting that isolation of North Korea had proven ineffective and that Trump's rhetoric was not helping resolve potential conflict. She also called for the U.S. to "quickly engage North Korea in a high-level dialogue without any preconditions".[196]
In September 2017, after Trump's first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, in which he threatened North Korea, Feinstein released a statement disagreeing with his remarks: "Trump's bombastic threat to destroy North Korea and his refusal to present any positive pathways forward on the many global challenges we face are severe disappointments."[197]
Gun control
Oakland MayorJerry Brown (left) with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (middle) and San Francisco MayorGavin Newsom (right) in 2007
Feinstein introduced theFederal Assault Weapons Ban, which became law in 1994 and expired in 2004.[198] In January 2013, about a month after theSandy Hook Elementary School shooting, she and RepresentativeCarolyn McCarthy proposed a bill that would "ban the sale, transfer, manufacturing or importation of 150 specific firearms including semiautomatic rifles or pistols that can be used with a detachable or fixed ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and have specific military-style features, including pistol grips, grenade launchers or rocket launchers". The bill would have exempted 900 models of guns used for sport and hunting.[198][199] Feinstein said of the bill, "The common thread in each of these shootings is the gunman used a semi-automatic assault weapon or large-capacity ammunition magazines. Military assault weapons only have one purpose, and in my opinion, it's for the military."[200] The bill failed on a Senate vote of 60 to 40.[201]
Health care
Feinstein supported theAffordable Care Act, repeatedly voting to defeat initiatives aimed against it.[202] She voted to regulate tobacco as a drug; expand the Children's Health Insurance Program; override the president's veto of adding 2 to 4 million children toSCHIP eligibility; increase Medicaid rebate for producinggeneric drugs; negotiate bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drugs; allow re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada; allow patients to sueHMOs and collectpunitive damages; cover prescription drugs under Medicare, andmeans-test Medicare. She voted against thePaul RyanBudget's Medicare choice, tax and spending cuts; and allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare.[203] Feinstein also favored the creation of apublic option to achieveuniversal healthcare, co-sponsoring a bill with that aim.[204][205] Feinstein's congressional voting record was rated as 88% by theAmerican Public Health Association (APHA), the figure ostensibly reflecting the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.[206]
At an April 2017 town hall meeting in San Francisco, Feinstein was booed when she stated that she did not support a proposal for single-payer health insurance. Feinstein said, "[i]fsingle-payer health care is going to mean the complete takeover by the government of all health care, I am not there."[207] During a news conference at theUniversity of California, San Diego in July 2017, she estimated that Democratic opposition would prove sufficient to defeat Republican attempts to repeal the ACA.[208] Feinstein wrote in an August 2017 op-ed that Trump could secure health-care reform if he compromised with Democrats: "We now know that such a closed process on a major issue like health care doesn't work. The only path forward is a transparent process that allows every senator to bring their ideas to the table."[209]
Immigration
In September 2017, after Attorney GeneralJeff Sessions rescinded theDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Feinstein admitted the legality of the program was questionable while citing this as a reason for why a law should be passed.[210] In her opening remarks at a January 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, she said she was concerned the Trump administration's decision to terminatetemporary protected status might be racially motivated, based on comments Trump made denigratingAfrican countries,Haiti, andEl Salvador.[211]
LGBTQ+ rights
In 1996, Feinstein was one of only 14 senators to vote against theDefense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as anopposite-sex union for purposes of federal law.[212] In 2011, she introduced a bill to repeal DOMA.[213] In 2022, she was the lead Senate sponsor of theRespect for Marriage Act, which repealed DOMA and required the federal government and all state governments to recognizesame-sex andinterracial marriages.[214]
In 2018, Feinstein softened her views on marijuana and cosponsored theSTATES Act, legislation that would protect states from federal interference regarding both medical and recreational use.[215][217] She also supported legislation in 2015 to allow medical cannabis to be recommended toveterans in states where its use is legal.[216]
National security
Defense policy
While delivering the commencement address at Stanford Stadium on June 13, 1994, Feinstein said:
It is time for a rational plan for defense conversion instead of the random closing of bases and the piecemeal cancellation of defense contracts. Otherwise, we risk losing, for both state and nation, the greatest resources of scientific, technical and human capital ever gathered together in human history.[218]
Feinstein was described during her lifetime as a"hawk" on matters of national security.[219][220] She voted for the extension of thePatriot Act and theFISA provisions in 2012.[221] Feinstein also voted for President Trump's $675-billiondefense budget bill for FY 2019.[222] Later in 2017, she criticized the banning oftransgender enlistments in the military under the Trump administration.[223]
Mass surveillance and citizens' privacy
Feinstein co-sponsoredPIPA on May 12, 2011.[224] She met with representatives of technology companies, including Google and Facebook, in January 2012. A Feinstein spokesperson said she "is doing all she can to ensure that the bill is balanced and protects the intellectual property concerns of the content community without unfairly burdening legitimate businesses such as Internet search engines".[225]
Following her 2012 vote to extend thePatriot Act and theFISA provisions,[221] and after the2013 mass surveillance disclosures involving theNational Security Agency (NSA), Feinstein promoted and supported measures to continue the information collection programs. Feinstein andSaxby Chambliss also defended the NSA's request toVerizon for all themetadata about phone calls made within the U.S. and from the U.S. to other countries. They said the information gathered by intelligence on the phone communications is used to connect phone lines to terrorists and that it did not contain the content of the phone calls or messages.[226]Foreign Policy wrote that she had a "reputation as a staunch defender of NSA practices and [of] the White House's refusal to stand by collection activities targeting foreign leaders".[227]
In October 2013, Feinstein criticized the NSA for monitoring telephone calls of foreign leaders friendly to the U.S.[228] In November 2013, she promoted the FISA Improvements Act bill, which included a "backdoor search provision" that allows intelligence agencies to continue certainwarrantless searches as long as they are logged and "available for review" to various agencies.[229]
In June 2013, Feinstein calledEdward Snowden a "traitor" after his leaks went public. In October 2013, she said she stood by that.[230]
In 2014, Feinstein accused theCIA of snooping and removing files from congressional computers,[231][232] saying that the "CIA's search may well have violated the separation of powers principles embodied in the United States Constitution".[233] Several months later the CIA admitted to having hacked Senate Intelligence Committee computers.[234] Feinstein's displeasure at having been spied on was contrasted with her support for government surveillance of US citizens, with public figures and privacy advocates such asJon Stewart and Edward Snowden noting the apparent incongruity.[235][233][236]
After the 2016FBI–Apple encryption dispute, Feinstein andRichard Burr sponsored a bill that would likely have criminalized all forms ofstrong encryption in electronic communication between citizens.[237][238][239][240] The bill would have required technology companies to design their encryption so that they can provide law enforcement with user data in an "intelligible format" when required to do so by court order.[237][238][239][240]
In 2020, Feinstein co sponsored theEARN IT Act, which seeks to create a 19-member committee to decide a list of best practices websites must follow to be protected by section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.[241] The EARN IT Act effectively outlawsend-to-end encryption, depriving the world of secure, private communications tools.[242]
As asuperdelegate in the2008 Democratic presidential primaries, Feinstein said she would support Clinton for the nomination. But afterBarack Obama became the presumptive nominee, she fully backed his candidacy. Days after Obama amassed enough delegates to win the nomination, Feinstein lent her Washington, D.C., home to Clinton and Obama for a private one-on-one meeting.[249] She did not attend the2008 Democratic National Convention inDenver because she had fallen and broken her ankle earlier in the month.[250]
Feinstein (center right) andKamala Harris (center left) in 2017
At an August 29, 2017, event in San Francisco, Feinstein expressed hope that Trump could become a good president. "The question is whether he can learn and change", she said. "If so, I believe he can be a good president". The next day, Feinstein released a clarifying statement: "I've been strongly critical of President Trump when I disagree on policy and with his behavior... While I'm under no illusion that it's likely to happen and will continue to oppose his policies, I want President Trump to change for the good of the country".[254]
EnglishWikisource has original text related to this article:
On January 9, 2018, Feinstein caused a stir when, as ranking member of theSenate Judiciary Committee, she released a transcript[255] of its August 2017 interview withFusion GPS co-founderGlenn Simpson about thedossier regarding connections between Trump's campaign and the Russian government.[256] She did this unilaterally after the committee's chairman,Chuck Grassley, refused to release the transcript.[257]
As the2020 presidential election approached, Feinstein indicated her support for former Vice PresidentJoe Biden. This came as a surprise to many pundits, due to the potential candidacy of fellow U.S. Senator from CaliforniaKamala Harris, of whom Feinstein said "I'm a big fan of Sen. Harris, and I work with her. But she's brand-new here, so it takes a little bit of time to get to know somebody."[258][259]
Supreme Court nominations
PresidentBarack Obama signs theNew START in the Oval Office, February 2, 2011. Feinstein is standing fourth from right.
In September 2005, Feinstein was one of five Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote against Supreme Court nomineeJohn Roberts, saying that Roberts had "failed to state his positions on such social controversies as abortion and the right to die".[260]
In January 2006, Feinstein said she would vote against Supreme Court nomineeSamuel Alito, but expressed disapproval of a filibuster: "When it comes to filibustering a Supreme Court appointment, you really have to have something out there, whether it's gross moral turpitude or something that comes to the surface. This is a man I might disagree with, [but] that doesn't mean he shouldn't be on the court."[261]
On July 12, 2009, Feinstein said the Senate would confirm Supreme Court nomineeSonia Sotomayor, praising her for her experience and for overcoming "adversity and disadvantage".[262]
After President Obama nominatedMerrick Garland to the Supreme Court in March 2016, Feinstein met with Garland on April 6 and later called on Republicans to do "this institution the credit of sitting down and meeting with him".[263]
In February 2017, Feinstein requested that Supreme Court nomineeNeil Gorsuch provide information on cases in which he had assisted with decision-making. In mid-March, she sent him a letter saying her request had not been met.[264] Feinstein stated her opposition to Gorsuch's nomination on April 3.[265]
AfterBrett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court, Feinstein received a July 30, 2018, letter fromChristine Blasey Ford in which Ford accused Kavanaugh of having sexually assaulted her in the 1980s.[266] Ford requested that her allegation be kept confidential.[267] Feinstein did not refer the allegation to the FBI until September 14, 2018,[266] after theSenate Judiciary Committee had completed its hearings on Kavanaugh's nomination and "after leaks to the media about [the Ford allegation] had reached a 'fever pitch'".[268][266] She faced "sharp scrutiny" for her decision to keep quiet about the Ford allegation for several weeks; she responded that she kept the letter and Ford's identity confidential because Ford had requested it.[268] Feinstein opposed Kavanaugh's nomination.[269] After an additional hearing and a supplemental FBI investigation, Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on October 6, 2018.[270]
Feinstein with PresidentDonald Trump,John Cornyn, andMarco Rubio to discuss school and community safety in the Cabinet Room at the White House, February 28, 2018
In the fall of 2020, in her capacity as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Feinstein participated in the confirmation hearings for President Trump's nomination ofAmy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Shortly before the 2020 presidential election, Barrett was nominated to the Court following JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg's death, and the nomination was intensely controversial. Feinstein opposed Barrett's nomination,[271] but at the conclusion of the hearings, she hugged Republican SenatorLindsey Graham, saying, "this has been one of the best set of hearings that I've participated in". Outraged progressives responded by calling for Feinstein to step down from her leadership role on the committee.[272][273][274][275] Barrett was confirmed to the Court. After the hearings, Senate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer said he had had a "long and serious" talk with Feinstein. After the 2020 election, Feinstein announced that she would not seek to serve as chair or as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee in 2021.[96][97][276]
In 2003, Feinstein was ranked the fifth-wealthiest senator, with an estimatednet worth of $26 million.[284] Her net worth increased to between $43 and $99 million by 2005.[285] Her 347-page financial-disclosure statement,[286] characterized by theSan Francisco Chronicle as "nearly the size of a phone book", claimed to draw clear lines between her assets and her husband's, with many of her assets inblind trusts.[287]
Feinstein took uppencil drawing as a hobby in the 1990s, primarily depicting scenes from nature andstill lifes of flowers taken from her gardens. She later made prints from her original pieces for charity auctions and as gifts to Senate colleagues, ambassadors, and other dignitaries. Despite her works being seen as collector's items, Feinstein considered herself merely "a doodler".[288][j]
In 2020, investigative journalistJane Mayer reported that it had been evident to some colleagues and staffers for several years that Feinstein was experiencingcognitive decline.[14] Mayer reported that among various short-term memory issues, Feinstein could not remember Chuck Schumer's repeated attempts to convince her to relinquish her leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee.[14] Stories of Feinstein's cognitive issues continued to circulate in the press for the last few years of her life: in 2022,The New York Times reported that she struggled to remember her colleagues' names, meetings she had attended, and phone calls she had received.[100] When asked about her, some colleagues and staffers argued that Feinstein was following in the footsteps ofStrom Thurmond, who remained in office with mental infirmity until age 100.[14][291]The New York Times said that Feinstein, "by all accounts, was clearly in the later stages of dementia" in her last years.[292]
Feinstein in June 2023
In March 2023, Feinstein was diagnosed withshingles[293] and hospitalized.[294] She then suffered complications, includingencephalitis (which caused swelling in her brain) andRamsay Hunt syndrome (which caused paralysis on the left side of her face and problems with her balance and eyesight).[295] These complications delayed her return to the Senate.[293] Feinstein, then 89, returned to the Senate floor in early May 2023 after a 10-week absence.[296] At the time, she used a wheelchair and was described as frail and noticeably thinner.[297][298] Soon after her return, when asked about her absence, Feinstein told reporters: "I've been here. I've been voting". This remark raised further questions about her memory.[299]
On July 17, 2023, Feinstein cededpower of attorney to her daughter, Katherine.[300] In August 2023, Feinstein was hospitalized after falling at her home in San Francisco. A spokesperson said it was "a minor fall" and Feinstein was subsequently cleared to return home.[301]
Feinstein died of natural causes at her home in Washington, D.C., on September 29, 2023, at the age of 90.[302][22][21] Despite longstanding health problems that had caused her to miss Judiciary Committee meetings for several months, her death was sudden, with Feinstein having cast a vote on the Senate floor the previous day that was needed for Democrats' efforts toavert a government shutdown.[303][304]
Feinstein's death marked the first timea sitting senator had died sinceJohn McCain died in 2018 of brain cancer, and the first time in U.S. history that a female senator died in office.[20]
Feinsteinlay in state atSan Francisco City Hall on October 4, 2023. A memorial service was held the next day on the front steps of the Hall,[306] and the public was discouraged from attending.[307] At the service, President Biden eulogized Feinstein as "a great American hero";[307] Vice President Harris added, "You helped move the ball forward, and our nation salutes you";[308] and a lone protester held a sign saying "If you want the People to feel sad when you die, retire before you go senile".[309] The service was punctuated byflyovers of theBlue Angels, coinciding with San Francisco'sFleet Week.[308] Feinstein was buried between the graves of her two husbands atHills of Eternity Memorial Park inColma, California.[310]
On October 1, 2023, Governor Newsom appointedLaphonza Butler to fill Feinstein's vacant Senate seat.[311][312] He had previously promised to appoint a Black woman in the event of a Senate vacancy.[313] Butler chose not to run for Feinstein's Senate seat in the 2024 election.[314]
^abSlater, Elinor; Slater, Robert (1994).Great Jewish Women. Middle Village, New York: Jonathan David Publishers. p. 78.ISBN978-0-8246-0370-0.Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. RetrievedApril 10, 2016. (ThePale of Settlement policy restricted Jews to living in specifically designated parts ofCzarist Russia. They were excluded from living in the main Russian cities.)
^Broder, David S.; Walsh, Edward; Barker, Karlyn; Cannon, Lou; Denton, Herbert; Dewar, Helen; Hinden, Stan (August 12, 1980)."Kennedy Ends Fight for Nomination".The Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. RetrievedSeptember 29, 2023.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on December 24, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 15, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Working Together". Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, United States Forest Service.Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. RetrievedOctober 5, 2023.
^Annette Feldman (December 1992)."The California Desert Protection Act"(PDF).Environs, the Environmental Law and Policy Journal at the University of California, Davis.16 (2):60–67. RetrievedJanuary 22, 2024.
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Funeral Service for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, October 5, 2023,C-SPAN
