Feinstein was one of the chamber's few remaining veterans of the so-called Year of the Woman, and was the longest-serving woman in Senate history.
Feinstein was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state -- including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control -- but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.
A fierce debater who did not suffer fools, the California senator was long known for her verbal zingers and sharp comebacks when challenged on the issues about which she was most fervent. But she lost that edge in her later years in the Senate, as her health visibly declined and she often became confused when answering questions or speaking publicly. In February 2023, she said she would not run for a sixth term the next year.
Feinstein's death leaves a hole in the Senate that will be eventually filled by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. But in the meantime, it leaves the Senate without a Democratic senator with a narrowly divided Congress days before a federal government shutdown. In recent months, questions were raised by constituents and members of the press about her health and mental capacity to serve in the Senate.
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