Nov. 5 (UPI) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on Saturday became the longest-serving female in Senate history, passing former Sen. Barbara Mikulski while celebrating her 30th anniversary as part of the chamber.
Feinstein, the first woman to lead the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2017 to 2021 and the first female head of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, called it an “incredible honor” to reach the milestone.
“I’m forever grateful to the people of California who sent me here to represent them,” Feinstein said in a statement released this week. “It has been a great pleasure to watch more and more women walk the halls of the Senate. We went from two women senators when I ran for office in 1992 to 24 today — and I know that number will keep climbing.”
She called Mikulski, D-Md., who became the first woman to serve five terms in the Senate, a “powerful example” for those who followed her in the chamber.
“We have a woman vice president and had a woman candidate in the presidential general election — who in fact won the popular vote,” Feinstein said. “Today there are 123 women representatives, including the most effective House speaker in history.
“More women are serving in the highest ranks of our military and as Supreme Court justices, Cabinet officials and CEOs.”
Feinstein in February lost her husband, Richard Blum, a successful investor and chairman emeritus of the University of California Board of Regents.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., recognized Feinstein on social media on Saturday.
“It’s been an honor to serve with Senator Dianne Feinstein who has become the longest-serving woman senator in our nation’s history. [Feinstein] has been a trailblazer for women in politics and a role model for generations of aspiring women.”
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