Dianne Feinstein

Politics & Government

From California to Capitol Hill, tributes to Dianne Feinstein flood in after her death

12:26pm September 29, 2023

by Becky Sullivan

Leaders in the House and the Senate paused from the race to avert a government shutdown to remember Feinstein, the California Democrat who was longest-serving woman to ever sit in the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee in July 2022.

Politics & Government

Dianne Feinstein, longest serving woman in the Senate, has died at 90

12:10pm September 29, 2023

by Scott Shafer

Feinstein suddenly became the mayor of San Francisco when two other officials were assassinated. Later she was elected to the U.S. Senate after male senators grilled Anita Hill in public hearings.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., center, is helped by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, after the 81-year-old GOP leader froze at the microphones as he arrived for a news conference, at the Capitol in Washington on July 26.

Age ain't nothing but a number but for aging lawmakers, it's raising questions

5:00am September 01, 2023

by Kelsey Snell

Elected officials are (almost) the oldest they have ever been in Washington which is causing discussions over what it means to be fit for office.

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The median age of U.S. senators is 65 — a record high — while the median age of representatives in the House is 58.

After McConnell's and Feinstein's episodes, should age limits be on the table?

5:00am July 31, 2023

by Juliana Kim

Two of the oldest members of the U.S. Senate showed the vulnerabilities that come with gerontocracy last week. But age limits can still be difficult to talk about or pass as law.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., departs from the U.S. Capitol following a vote, on May 11, as she returned to Washington, D.C., after having being absent from the Senate for months due to illness.

Politics & Government

Feinstein's return to the Senate recalls its past heroics and persistent problems

5:01am July 08, 2023

by Ron Elving

The 90-year-old Californian's long absence and current condition raise questions about the institution's ability to deal with its internal issues of aging or disability.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 6, 2018.

Politics & Government

Calls Grow To Delay Kavanaugh Vote After Accuser Goes Public

9:42pm September 16, 2018

Senators from both parties called for a delay shortly after The Washington Post published a story naming the woman who says that Kavanaugh tried to sexually assault her when they were both teenagers.

Ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., arrives for a Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in December. Critics have raised questions about her age as she runs for re-election.

Will Age Become An Issue In Dianne Feinstein's Re-Election Campaign?

5:19am February 07, 2018

by Ina Jaffe

Critics say Feinstein — the oldest member of the U.S. Senate at 84 — should not run for another six-year term. But an expert says chronological age doesn't tell you much about ability.

Jeff Sessions is sworn is as attorney general on Feb. 9. There are questions now about the Justice Department's independence.

Breaching The 'Wall': Is The White House Encroaching On DOJ Independence?

5:00am October 26, 2017

by Carrie Johnson

DOJ veterans and lawmakers are warning the Trump administration about breaching the agency's autonomy. They cite a pattern of contacts between the White House and the Justice Department this year.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill last month.

Facing Unrest On The Left, Dianne Feinstein Draws A Primary Opponent

7:42am October 16, 2017

by Scott Shafer

Feinstein's reputation as a bipartisan bridge builder may work against her with some California Democrats who are eager for a more confrontational approach to the Trump Administration.

Protesters attend a rally at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn before marching to Sen. Charles Schumer's apartment on Tuesday.

Alarmed By Washington, Liberal Protesters Bring Concerns Home To Lawmakers

1:24pm February 02, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

And we mean the word "home" literally. In the past week, demonstrators have parked their signs — and their frustrations — outside the homes of Democratic politicians.