Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dies at 90
Sen.
Feinstein was the oldest member of Congress.
The
Epoch Times
US
NEWS
By
Zachary Stieber
9/29/2023
Updated: 9/29/2023
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/sen-dianne-feinstein-dies-at-90-post-5500872
The
oldest member of Congress has died.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) passed away at
age 90 during the evening of Sept. 28, her chief of staff said Friday.
Her
cause of death has not been made public.
"Her
passing is a great loss for so many, from those who loved and cared for her to
the people of California that she dedicated her life to serving," James
Sauls, the chief of staff, said in a statement.
"She
left a legacy that is undeniable and extraordinary. There is much to say about
who she was and what she did, but for now, we are going to grieve the passing
of our beloved boss, mentor and friend," Mr. Sauls added.
Ms.
Feinstein became a U.S. senator in 1992. She was reelected five times. Before
her time in Washington, she was San Francisco's mayor and a member of the
city's Board of Supervisors.
Ms.
Feinstein's latest husband, Richard Blum, died in 2022.
Ms.
Feinstein had been struggling with health issues. She was briefly hospitalized
in August after a fall. She was cared for in a hospital for months after
contracting shingles in March. Complications from the infection included Ramsay
Hunt Syndrome, which can cause facial paralysis. When she returned to the
Senate, she was being pushed around in a wheelchair.
Ms.
Feinstein had handed
over power of attorney to her daughter as part of a battle over
Mr. Blum's estate.
Seat
to be Filled by Governor
The
seat held by Ms. Feinstein will be temporarily filled by a person chosen by
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.
Under
the U.S. Constitution, states have the power to fill vacancies that arise in
the Senate.
Mr.
Newsom has not said when he will make his choice. In a statement on Friday, he
said Ms. Feinstein was "a dear friend, a lifelong mentor, and a role model
not only for me, but to my wife and daughters for what a powerful, effective
leader looks like."
Mr.
Newsom has previously said he would appoint a black woman if a Senate vacancy
arose but clarified in September he would not appoint any of candidates running
for the seat.
"I
don't want to get involved in the primary," he said.
Ms.
Feinstein's seat was already set to become vacant in early 2025, as she had
opted not to run for another term.
The
race for the seat includes U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Katie Porter
(D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Republicans running include attorney
Eric Early and businesswoman Sarah Sun Liew.
No
Republican has represented California in the Senate since 1992.
Democrats
currently hold a majority in the Senate. With Feinstein, that majority was
51–49. Without her, it is 50–49.
Congress
is working on passing a new budget as a government shutdown looms.
History
in Congress
Ms.
Feinstein was praised Friday by colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
"Dianne
Feinstein was a treasured friend to the Wyden family. She was an extraordinary
advocate for San Francisco, for California, and for the West," Sen. Ron
Wyden (R-Ore.) said in a statement.
"Sen
Feinstein did an outstanding job representing the people of California,"
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) added.
Ms.
Feinstein helped craft a federal ban on some guns that was in place from 1994
to 2004.
She
said her efforts to impose stricter regulations on gun ownership stemmed in
part from the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and
Supervisor Harvey Milk. Ms. Feinstein became the city's mayor after Mr. Moscone
was killed.
Ms.
Feinstein rallied for approval of new gun control laws after the 2012 mass
killing of people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in
2012.
In
Washington in 2021, Ms. Feinstein described America as "a gun-happy
nation, and everybody can have their gun."
"Unfortunately
we’re not making the laws that could protect people in this kind of gun
crimes," she added, referring to a mass shooting in San Jose.
Ms.
Feinstein was for years the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
During her tenure, the panel reported on how the CIA ran secret detention
facilities outside America and interrogated suspected terrorists in the wake of
the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States. The report's summary
said that the CIA's interrogation techniques in some cases "amount[ed] to
torture." The actual report has remained classified.
"The
CIA's actions are a stain on our values and our history," Ms. Feinstein
said at the time.
The
CIA said the report “provided an incomplete and selective picture of what
happened.”
Ms.
Feinstein was also a defender of the government's spying on Americans, after
exposure of the spying by National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
"It's
called protecting America," Ms. Feinstein said after details of the spying
programs were made public. Her position ran counter to that of many colleagues,
Republican and Democrat.
Ms.
Feinstein was also criticized by some colleagues and activists for her handling
of confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump's three Supreme Court
picks, especially when she embraced Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham
(R-S.C.) after confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Ms.
Feinstein shortly afterwards stepped down as the top Democrat of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, without listing a reason. She remained a member.
Born
on June 22, 1933, Ms. Feinstein graduated Stanford University in 1955 with a
history degree.
She
was married the following year but divorced her first husband, Jack Berman, in
1959, leaving her a single mother of her daughter, Katherine.
Ms.
Feinstein, was appointed by California's governor to the California Women's
Parole Board in 1960, starting her career in the government. She won a race for
the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1960, and later became San
Francisco's acting mayor following Mr. Moscone's assassination. She had
previously lost two mayoral races.
Ms.
Feinstein remarried in 1962. Bertram Feinstein, the second husband, died in
1978. Ms. Feinstein kept his name.
She
married Mr. Blum, an investment banker, two years later.
In
addition to her daughter, Ms. Feinstein leaves behind a granddaughter and three
stepchildren.
Connecting
the Dots:
Victoria P. Sant was
a trustee at Stanford University and
is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Robert M. Bass was
a trustee at Stanford University and a trustee at the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
Pete Higgins was
a trustee at Stanford University and is a trustee at the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
Steven A. Denning is
a trustee at Stanford University and an honorary trustee at
the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Mark B. McClellan was
an associate professor at Stanford University and a senior
fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Richard C. Blum was
married to Senator Dianne Feinstein and an honorary trustee at
the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for
the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the
United States (think tank).
Michael P.C.
Carns was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States
(think tank) and is a director at the Remington Outdoor Company.
Cerberus Capital Management L.P. is
the owner of the Remington Outdoor Company.
Stephen A.
Feinberg is the CEO for Cerberus Capital Management L.P., Martin
Feinberg’s son and a trustee at the Public Theater.
Kenneth B. Lerer was
the chairman for the Public Theater and is an advisory board member
for Everytown for Gun Safety.
Everytown
for Gun Safety is a “gun control group” for guns.
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety and was
a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin
Hood Foundation.
George Soros was the chairman
for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder &
chairman for the Open Society Foundations.
Open Society Foundations was a funder
for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).
Michael P.C.
Carns was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States
(think tank) and is a director at the Remington Outdoor Company.
Cerberus Capital Management L.P. is
the owner of the Remington Outdoor Company.
Stephen A.
Feinberg is the CEO for Cerberus Capital Management L.P.
and Martin Feinberg’s son.
Martin Feinberg is Stephen
A. Feinberg’s father, and a Newtown (CT) resident.
Newtown (CT) is
the location of the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
2012
massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a mass shootings where
28 were killed, including gunman.
Resources:
Past Research
Who
Really Controls Our Universities? (Connecting the Dots: Soros Funded Think
Tanks) (Past Research on Stanford University)
WEDNESDAY,
AUGUST 24, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/08/who-really-controls-our-universities.html
Selling
off the Post Office: Berkeley calls out Richard Blum (Past
Research on Richard Blum)
THURSDAY,
JUNE 9, 2016
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/06/selling-off-post-office-berkeley-calls.html
CA
Teachers ‘Mad’ Pensions Still Invested in Bushmaster Firearms After Sandy Hook
Shooting (Past Research on Sandy Hook)
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 4, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/11/ca-teachers-mad-pensions-still-invested.html
Father
of Slain Virginia Reporter Joining Everytown, Shannon Watts, for Gun Control
Rally (Past Research on the Everytown for Gun
Safety)
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
