Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer in American politics and California’s lead advocate for gun control, has died at 90, according to sources familiar with the news.
Dianne who spearheaded the first federal assault weapons ban and documented the CIA’s torture of foreign terrorism suspects, served as America’s Senator for three decades which makes her the longest serving in history.
Feinstein, a former mayor of San Francisco, was a leading figure in California politics for decades and became a national face of the Democratic Party following her first election to the US Senate in 1992. She broke a series of glass ceilings throughout her political career and her influence was felt strongly in some of Capitol Hill’s most consequential works in recent history, including the since-lapsed federal assault weapons ban in 1994 and the 2014 CIA torture report. She also was a longtime force on the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
Reports from U.S officials say, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom would be compelled to appoint a new lawmaker to complete the rest of Feinstein’s term, keeping the democratic majority in the chamber through early January 2025.
A hospitalization for shingles in February led to an extended absence from the Senate – stirring complaints from Democrats, as Feinstein’s time away slowed the confirmation of Democratic-appointed judicial nominees – and when she returned to Capitol Hill three months later, it was revealed that she had suffered multiple complications during her recovery, including Ramsay Hunt syndrome and encephalitis. A fall in August briefly sent her to the hospital.
Probings made into her mental acuity and her ability to lead efficiently after her episodes of ill health were debunked. She said “The real question is whether I’m still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am.”
Heavy speculations of Feinstein’s retirement after her present term, which got several democrats announcing their candidacies long before her confirmation of retirement, telling CNN that ‘the time has come.”
Feinstein’s death brings the U.S Congress to an impasse as they make advancements on how to avoid a government shutdown, though Senate Democrats still retain a majority without her.