Dianne Feinstein death - latest: Tributes pour in for California senator

Footage from 2008 shows the moment Dianne Feinstein became the first woman to open a US presidential inauguration as she ushered in the start of Barrack Obama’s presidency.

Ms Feinstein, a pioneering Democrat politician, died at the age of 90 on Thursday evening.

For months prior to her death on Thursday evening, California Senator Dianne Feinstein had struggled with health issues.

Ms Feinstien, who died at 90 years old, had stirred controversy in Congress for remaining in her seat despite calls for her to resign as she obviously struggled with some health issues.

In 2017, Ms Feinstein had an artificial pacemaker inserted.

But it wasn’t until 2022 when Ms Feinstein’s ability to serve was called into question as it was reported she was struggling to remember colleagues’ names

In March, Ms Feinstein was hospitalised after contracting shingles.

Approximately 10 weeks later, in May, Ms Feinstein returned to the Senate where her office revealed she had developed Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis as part of the shingles diagnosis.

However, it appeared Ms Feinstein was struggling with her memory when she did return.

A New York Times report revealed that Ms Feinstein relied heavily on aides to get around Capitol Hill, help her vote on certain measures, recall where she was going and explain what was happening.

The report claimed Ms Feinstein “expressed confusion about the basics of how the Senate function” like questioning why vice president Kamala Harris was present in the Senate chamber last year to help cast a tiebreaking vote.

In August, Ms Feinstein was hospitalised after experiencing a “minor fall”. Her office said Ms Feinstein was only taken as a precaution and she was cleared to return home and to work.

Even while Republican lawmakers and some Democrats called on Ms Feinstein to leave the Senate, she refused.

Up until Ms Feinstein’s death on Thursday, the status of her health had been questioned by other members of Congress but her office had not released any statements.

Having lived to be 90 years old, Dianne Feinstein leaves behind an impressive legacy both personally, legislatively and financially.

It was well-known that Feinstein was considered one of the wealthiest senators having an estimated net worth of $87.4 million as of 2018, according to Open Secrets.

In her financial disclosures, Ms Feinstein had invested heavily in real estate, specifically Carlton Hotel Properties LP, which owns the Carlton Hotel in San Francisco.

Feinstein’s late husband Richard Blum, was a wealthy investor and businessman as well.

Earlier this year, Feinstein filed a lawsuit against the trustees of Blum’s estate claiming they were committing financial elder abuse by denying her payments from the blind trust she set up when he died in 2022.

After struggling with some personal health issues over the last two years, Ms Feinstein turned over power of attorney to her only daughter, Katherine Feinstein.

Dianne Feinstein’s career saw her rise to the highest echelons of government. She became mayor of San Francisco after the assassination of George Moscone in 1978. As a US senator, she authored the 1994 ban on assault weapons. But as her tenure in the Senate progressed in recent years and months, she faced questions about her declining memory and faced numerous health complications as she announced she would not seek re-election.

Feinstein was considered a hard-driving boss – once notably saying “I don’t get ulcers, I give them” – who nonetheless focused on work as much as she demanded from her team. Her final vote was earlier this week on advancing a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.

Eric Garcia remembers Dianne Feinstein:

New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority Senate leader, gave an emotional tribute to Dianne Feinstein on the floor this morning, following news of her passing.

Mr Schumer and Feinstein were close allies, having served in Congress together since 1999 when Mr Schumer assumed office.

“Earlier this morning, we lost a giant in the Senate. Senator Dianne Feinstein was one of the most amazing people who ever graced the Senate, who ever graced the country. She had so many amazing, wonderful qualities wrapped up in one incredible human being. She was smart, she was strong, she was brave, she was– compassionate. But maybe the trait that stood out most of us was her amazing integrity. Her integrity was a diamond,” Mr Schumer said.

Mr Schumer acknowledged that Feinstein’s impact on the Senate opened the door for many more women to become successful lawmakers.

“Today there are 25 women serving in this chamber and every one of them would admit they stand on Dianne’s shoulders,” he said.

“The sign of a leader is someone who dedicates the whole of their spirit for a cause greater than themselves, the sign of a hero is someone who fights for others, who endures for others, no matter the cost, no matter the odds, and a sign of a friend is someone who stands by your side to fight the good fight on the good days and on the bad.”

Choking back tears, Mr Schumer looked back at Feinstein’s now empty desk in the chambers.

“Dianne Feinstein was all of this and more, friend, a hero for so many, a leader who changed the nation. A leader who changed the nature of the Senate and who changed the fabric of the nation, America. – America for the better,” he said.

Before her death, California Senator Dianne Feinstein said she would not be seeking re-election for her California seat in 2024.

In February, Feinstein announced on X/Twitter that she intended to finish her term as Senator through 2023 and 2024 but would give up her seat. At the time of her announcement, Feinstein was 89 years old.

“I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends,” she wrote.

When asked why she decided to not run for another term, she cited her family.

“Well, it’s time,” she told The Independent. “My husband has passed away. It was a very hard death. He had a very serious cancer. And I survived that and the time has come.”

Feinstein’s husband Richard Blum died last year.

“It’s been a lot of years. And I think a lot of achievement for the state and I’m very proud of my record,” she said. “People are announcing and I think, I don’t want to not be honest and say what my intent is. And I never did intend to run for another term.”

At the time, Feinstein told The Independent that she did not plan to endorse anyone anytime soon.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman issued a statement following Senator Dianne Feinstein’s death.

On X/Twitter, Mr Fetterman recognised the work Feinstein did for gun violence protections and LGBT+ rights in America.

“Senator Feinstein was a true trailblazer in American politics who led on issues like gun violence protection and LGBTQ rights. Gisele + I send our deepest condolences to her family, staff and loved ones in this difficult time,” Mr Fetterman wrote.

In 1994, Feinstein authored and helped pass the Assault Weapons Ban. As chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, she also led attempts to uncover the United States’s use of torture after 9/11.

She also supported gay rights in housing and jobs and helped develop programs to fight HIV/AIDS.

Former president Barack Obama dedicated a post on X/Twitter to the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, reflecting on her legacy and their work together.

“Dianne Feinstein will be rightly remembered as a trailblazer—the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco and the first woman elected to the Senate from California. But once she broke those barriers and walked through those doors, she got to work,” Mr Obama wrote on Friday.

Feinstein became the first woman to open a presidential inauguration address in 2008 when Mr Obama when sworn into office.

Mr Obama said he first got to know Feinstein while she was “a fierce advocate” for gun safety and civil rights.

“Later, when I was president, I came to rely on her as a trusted partner in the fight to guarantee affordable healthcare and economic opportunity for everyone.”

The ex-president said Feinstein exhibited the type of behaviour that can be found in “the best politicians” – deeply caring for the people they represent.

“That was certainly true of Dianne Feinstein, and all of us are better for it. Today Michelle and I are thinking of her daughter, Katherine, and everyone who knew and loved her, Mr Obama concluded.

With just over 13 months remaining until the 2024 general election, the death of California Senator Dianne Feinstein has thrown a massive wrench into the works of the ongoing fight to succeed her when the 119th Congress begins in January 2025.

Feinstein, who passed away at age 90 after three decades representing the Golden State in the upper chamber, leaves behind a hotly contested race that kicked off shortly before she announced in February that she would not seek re-election.

Because California’s election system uses a “nonpartisan blanket primary,” all contenders vying for Feinstein’s seat run in a single primary race, after which the top two vote-getters — regardless of political party — appear on the November general election ballot.

Three prominent members of the House of Representatives — Democrats Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee — have been running for the now-open seat in the upper chamber, with Mr Schiff holding a significant advantage in most opinion polls.

But Feinstein’s death, and the vacancy it creates, now generates a political conundrum that could threaten to upend the race.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Democratic colleagues of Dianne Feinstein remembered her fondly on social media after news of her passing on Friday.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is Independent but caucuses with Democrats, called Feinstein “a woman of great courage and achievement who dedicated her life to public service.”

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said Feinstein “broke barriers and fought for the American people” citing her advocacy for LGBT+ rights and assault weapons prevention bill.

Cory Booker, the senator for New Jersey, said he was “heartbroken” by the news of Feinstein’s passing and remembered working alongside her fondly.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Feinstein was “a force to be reckoned with.”

“She was one of the most powerful voices in the Senate, and she blazed a trail for generations of women who followed her into elected office. I was so grateful to have her as my role model, my mentor, and a dear friend,” Ms Gillibrand wrote.

Chris Murphy, a senator for Connecticut, praised Feinstein’s work to help ban assault weapons in 1994.

“The modern anti-gun violence movement, now stronger than the gun lobby, would not exist but for Dianne,” Mr Murphy wrote.