Sen. Dianne Feinstein dealing with 'health matter' in California, office says

[RandySF]

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), the oldest member of the Senate, is in California this week “dealing with a health matter,” according to a spokesperson.

Feinstein, who turns 90 in June, was not present for several roll call votes this week and did not attend Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General Merrick Garland.

A spokesperson said the senator “hopes to return to Washington soon” but did not elaborate on when or specify the nature of the health matter.

The senior senator from California recently announced she would not seek reelection in 2024 to the seat she has held for decades. For the past few years, she has faced questions about and media coverage of her perceived decline in mental acuity.

She has frequently waved off those criticisms, saying last year, “The real question is whether I’m still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am.”



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/02/feinstein-senate-california-health/

[FirstLight]

1. oops....edited cuz I saw she was actually goiing to retire...

I'm sorry she's unwell
but she's the same age as my dad and he's in memory care

[FreeState]

5. Sorry to hear about your Dad

Aging can be really hard. It’s important to remember that aging while it will happen to us all will be different for us all as well. Just because some is 90 does not mean they are not fit for the job.

[Buckeyeblue]

7. The big problem at that age is minor health issues for younger people are major problems for 90 year

Their margin for recovery is razor thin.

And I've known several 90 year old, a few even still did some short drives. But none of them, in my opinion, were fit to be a senator. Mainly, at that age you lose the perspective of the average person, even under the best conditions.

[Raven123]

2. Wish her well

My goodness, it seems so many members of the Democratic Party have health issues.

[Hekate]

3. All the best to our DiFi. She has served us well for many decades.

[LoisB]

4. Yes, she has. Anytime I emailed or wrote her office, I always got a prompt reply about the

actual issue instead of a boiler plate campaign response. I have a great deal of respect for her.

[Raine]

8. Same here, the others always send some generic response but

DiFi always refers to the issue specifically and says what she's doing about it or going to do. I will miss her when she's no longer my Senator. I wish her all the best.

[LoisB]

9. Do you remember when we had Feinstein and Boxer? Those were the days. I am with you in

wishing DiFi all and only the best.

[Raine]

10. Yes and Bill Clinton was President! 👍 nt

[NowISeetheLight]

6. Age Limit

I love Sen Dianne being a CA resident, but I think there needs to be an age limit for public office, or something. We make commercial airline pilots retire at 65 regardless of their mental faculties. I’m not saying our legislators should retire at 65 but I think 90 just seems to be too much.

I have neighbors who are 80 in my 55+ community who are as sharp as tacks, and I have others who need to have their cars taken away. I remember finally getting my Dad to stop driving around 80. I moved to AZ to help my folks and finally moved in next door. I managed to get him to stop driving most places and I would take them. He came home from Walgreens one day and the front bumper on the van was all yellow and smashed in. He had slammed into the handicap parking sign. He didn’t even really remember it. I had to explain to him if he’d hit someone he could’ve killed them. Then they’d sue and take his house, pension, everything he’d worked a lifetime to build. He quit driving then.

I guess at some point you need to retire. When I drove semi OTR in the 90s I had to get a DOT physical every two years. Nowadays I would never pass it with the meds I take and sleep apnea. I guess I just think of Storm Thurman being wheeled in. The last ten years one side described as him not knowing “if he was on foot or horseback”.

Maybe the real answer is term limits. An end around accusations of “ageism”.

[maxsolomon]

11. No to term limits.

Senators should know to bow out gracefully.