Dianne Feinstein Taken To Hospital For Brief Stay After Falling At Her Home
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was briefly hospitalized on Tuesday after a fall.
A spokesperson for the 90-year-old lawmaker said in a statement, “Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home. All of her scans were clear and she returned home.” TMZ first reported the news, but her office said that their original report was inaccurate in that she is not currently hospitalized.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he spoke to Feinstein on Wednesday morning and “she said she suffered no injuries and briefly went to the hospital as a precaution. I’m glad she is back home now and is doing well.”
Feinstein was diagnosed with shingles earlier this year, something that kept her from Capitol Hill for nearly three months as she recovered. Her health has been the subject of intense speculation among reporters and Capitol Hill staffers, and her absence earlier this year led to one Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), to call for her to step down before her term is up. Feinstein sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and her vote has been crucial given the number confirmations of judges that come before the panel.
In a more recent incident last month, she appeared a bit confused during a Senate Appropriations Committee vote. Congress is currently in its summer recess and the Senate does not return until Sept. 5.
Feinstein is the oldest serving senator. She announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection in 2024. Three House members — Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee — are running in the primary to succeed her.
If Feinstein were to step down, it would be up to Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a replacement through the end of her term. He has said that he would name a Black woman to the Senate if that happened, although choosing Lee would be a risk for Newsom in that it would look as if he is trying to put his thumb on the scales of the Democratic primary.
Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992, when she defeated Republican incumbent John Seymour, who had been appointed to the seat by then-Gov. Pete Wilson to serve for the remainder of his term. Feinstein faced a highly competitive reelection in 1994 against Republican Michael Huffington, but she has won her subsequent races by wide margins.
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