As Sen. Dianne Feinstein announces retirement, praise rolls in from Southern California lawmakers
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2017. On Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, Feinstein said she would not run for re-election in 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN | kschallhorn@scng.com and HANNA KANG | hkang@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: February 14, 2023 at 11:27 a.m. | UPDATED: February 14, 2023 at 3:48 p.m.
A trailblazer. A titan in the U.S. Senate.
Praise for Sen. Dianne Feinstein rolled in quickly Tuesday, shortly after she ended the widespread speculation about her political future and formally announced she would not seek reelection in 2024.
Rep. Katie Porter, an Orange County Democrat who had already launched a bid for the Senate seat, said she is appreciative of Feinstein’s leadership — both for women in politics and for California.
“Senator Dianne Feinstein has had a remarkable career serving the people of California. She created a path for women in politics that I am proud to follow,” Porter said. “I thank the Senator for her leadership and appreciate all that she has accomplished for our state.”
Calling Feinstein “one of the finest legislators our state and country have ever known,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, lauded the senator’s work on gun safety, LGBTQ rights and conservation, among other things.
“As the longest-serving woman senator, Senator Feinstein is (a) trailblazer, and her accomplishments are immense and far from over,” Schiff, who is also running for the Senate seat, said in a statement. “All of California is indebted to Dianne for her decades of distinguished service.”
Despite being on the other side of the aisle, Rep. Young Kim, whose district encompasses Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, recognized Feinstein’s bipartisanship and public service.
“Senator Feinstein has spent three decades serving Californians in the U.S. Senate, becoming the longest-serving female senator in our nation’s history and blazing trails for future generations,” Kim said. “Despite our policy differences, I respect her service to our state and willingness to work across the aisle, as we were able to get funding for several vital local projects in my district across the finish line last Congress. I wish her the best in her retirement.”
First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Feinstein is the longest-serving female senator. She was the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee until 2021 and was the first woman to lead the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence where she oversaw the release of a bipartisan report on the Benghazi attacks.
On Feb. 14, Feinstein said she would not be running for reelection but vowed to “accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends.”
“You can’t tell the story of California politics — or the story of American politics — without the trailblazing career of Dianne Feinstein,” said fellow California Sen. Alex Padilla. “For five decades, California has been privileged to have as gifted, as dedicated and as iconic a public servant as my colleague.”
Feinstein is a “titan in the United States Senate, with a record that stands among the finest in history,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who represents San Francisco, where Feinstein was the first woman to serve as its mayor.
Additional reactions
Rep. Lou Correa, D-Anaheim: “Throughout her decades of service to the people of California, Senator Feinstein has been a staunch fighter for our state’s working families — and as the longest-serving female Senator in our nation’s history, has shattered glass ceilings for a new generation of young female leaders across California, and throughout the United States. She’s been a valued colleague of mine since coming to Congress in 2016, and I cherish the moments we’ve shared together throughout our time as public servants. Her leadership and relentless advocacy for our most vulnerable will be deeply missed, and I look forward to the new generation of leadership that comes in her stead — they undoubtedly have big shoes to fill.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach: “I want to join Californians across the state in thanking (Sen. Feinstein) for her service to our country. I especially want to thank her for the leadership on LGBTQ+ issues. As Mayor of San Francisco and our Senator she always fought for our community and our issues.”
Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano: “Senator Feinstein’s life in public service shaped California and our country for the better. Her tireless work on behalf of Californians brought historic investments and resources to our state that have benefitted millions of residents. The people of California were fortunate to have her fight for us in the Senate for so many years, and we thank her for her service.”
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Whittier: “As the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California, Senator Dianne Feinstein has always been a trailblazer and a fighter. I join my colleagues from California in wishing the Senator all the best in her retirement, and I look forward to this new chapter for our state.”
Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona: Sen. Feinstein “spent her career fighting for California, and in the United States Senate, she has been a trailblazer in every sense of the word. I thank her for her years of service and dedication to improving our great state.”
State Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine: “Senator Dianne Feinstein has represented the best of California politics for over 50 years, including for the past 30 years in the United States Senate. Her tireless work to make our state and our nation safer, more tolerant, and more sustainable has improved the lives of so many millions of Americans over many generations. It was a highlight of my career to work alongside her to ban offshore oil drilling in California waters and to enjoy her support on several of my gun violence prevention bills. We must honor her legacy of bold leadership by continuing the fight to save and protect the lives of our most vulnerable communities, and to protect our planet for future generations.”
Joanna Weiss, CA-47 candidate: “When Senator Feinstein was first elected in 1992, women were not allowed to wear trousers on the Senate floor, and women’s bathrooms had just been installed. I am particularly grateful for her trailblazing work on behalf of Californians, and her unwavering commitment to advancing women’s rights. Her leadership and accomplishments have paved the way for many of us, and I am proud to be following in her footsteps as a woman running for office. Today at a time when the rights of women to determine their own future has been put at risk nationwide by a Republican congress, women make up less than 30% of the voting members of either the Senate or the House. We cannot go back.”
This story has been updated.