Dianne Feinstein: 'Pioneering' Senator dies aged 90

Dianne Feinstein, the California Senator who served for more than three decades and was the oldest member of Congress, has died at age 90. Her office released a statement that she passed away overnight at her home in Washington, DC.

Feinstein had recently faced questions of alleged cognitive issues and was admitted to the hospital in April after a “minor fall.” The Senator also made headlines recently for mounting family tensions over her late husband’s estate.

Born in 1933, Feinstein grew up in San Francisco and graduated from Stanford University. Her first public role was being elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1969. She later became San Francisco’s first female mayor and was elected to the Senate in 1992. She was the first woman to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee, the first woman to sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the first female chair of the Senate Rules Committee. President Biden released a statement earlier this morning calling Feinstein a “pioneering American,” “a true trailblazer,” and “a cherished friend.”

Feinstein is survived by a daughter, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Katherine Feinstein.

For more information see Bernd Debusmann Jr “Dianne Feinstein: ‘Pioneering’ Senator dies aged 90” BBC, September 29, 2023.