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Feinstein, a Democrat, was the oldest member of the Senate. She had the longest tenure of any woman in the chamber, and any senator from California.
Her death ends a boundary-pushing political career that spanned more than half a century, which was studded with major legislative achievements on issues including gun control and the environment.
In Feinstein’s final years, she had increasingly visible health and memory issues, and a conflict with her fellow Democrats over her refusal to step down.
She had planned to retire at the end of her current term in 2024.
Feinstein’s death leaves vacant her powerful Senate seat, requiring Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor.
| Another, courtesy of Fred: |
[NYPOST] US Sen. Dianne Feinstein...Dem Senator-for-Life from Caliphornica. She has been a politician since about the time she was weaned. Feinstein was the author of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and tried it a second time in 2012. Feinstein has chaired the Select Committee on Intelligence since 2009. At age 80, Feinstein is the oldest currently serving United States Senator....
, the trailblazing Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party, Democrat who broke gender barriers throughout her five decades in politics, died Thursday night at her Washington, DC home following a number of health scares. She was 90.
James Sauls, Feinstein’s chief of staff, confirmed her death in a mid-morning statement, saying: "Her passing is a great loss for so many, from those who loved and cared for her to the people of California that she dedicated her life to serving ... There are few women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother. Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state. She left a legacy that is undeniable and extraordinary."