Washington, United States

United States Senator Dianne Feinstein known for being a trailblazer for women in American politics and spending more than three decades in the Senate passed away at the age of 90, her office confirmed on Friday (Sep 29) after multiple American media reports. 

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She was also the oldest member of the US Senate where she served since 1992 and held her seat in the chamber longer than any other woman or senator from the state of California. 

Feinstein, a Democrat, has been an advocate for gun control in the US and spearheaded the first federal assault weapons ban and documented the CIA’s torture of foreign terrorism suspects. 

She had shattered multiple glass ceilings during her nearly 31 years in office, including being the first woman to head the influential Senate Intelligence Committee. Feinstein cast her last vote in the Senate late Thursday (Sep 28) morning, reported the American media citing Senate records. 

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‘Never backed away’

According to a statement by her office, Feinstein passed away at her home in Washington, DC. “Senator Feinstein never backed away from a fight for what was just and right,” said her chief of staff James Sauls.

It added, “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.” 

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“She left a legacy that is undeniable and extraordinary.” 

California Governor Gavin Newsom is now expected to appoint a temporary replacement for Feinstein. 

Declining health

Amid her reported declining health and cognitive abilities many called for her retirement as well as highlighted concerns about America’s aging politicians. She had been facing questions for months about her abilities and also got into a conflict with her fellow Democrats over her refusal to step down.

In February, she announced that she would not be seeking reelection in 2024. Feinstein was also sidelined from Congress for three months after suffering from shingles and complications, including encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

In April, she was admitted to the hospital after a “minor fall” at her home and took on lighter duties upon her return and moved around the Capitol using a wheelchair. 

About Dianne Feinstein 

Born on 22 June 1933, Feinstein grew up in San Francisco and is a graduate of Stanford University. She was elected in 1969 to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors and became the city’s first female mayor in 1978 after then-Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by Dan White, a former member of the same board.

Speaking about her experience of that day Feinstein said that she rushed to Milk’s office after hearing gunshots and while searching for his pulse, her finger found a bullet hole. 

The horror of that experience never left her and she went on to author and introduce, the federal ban on military-style assault weapons in 1994 both a landmark bill and one of her biggest legislative achievements, which expired in 2004. 

As the Intelligence Committee chair, Feinstein led a years-long review of the CIA’s controversial interrogation programme of foreign terrorists following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

“The CIA’s actions are a stain on our values and our history,” she had said at the time. 

The report also concluded, despite the CIA’s claims their use of “coercive interrogation techniques in some cases amounting to torture” on at least 119 detainees, played no no role in disrupting any terrorism plots. 

(With inputs from agencies) 

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