Dianne Feinstein Returned to Washington, Not Work, After Months-Long Absence

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) returned to Washington, DC, on Tuesday after her months-long absence healing from shingles, but still missed Senate votes on Wednesday.

The 89-year-old senator missed the votes on Wednesday, CNN’s Manu Raju reported. However, she did indeed make an appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon.

Feinstein, planning to retire at the end of her current term, has been absent from work since early 2023 as she was hospitalized with shingles. She has missed more than 90 votes in her absence and has given the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee the ability to stall some of President Joe Biden’s court nominees.

Her continued absence led to many lawmakers calling for her to resign in order for a replacement to be named. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) even tried to have her seat on the Judiciary Committee filled in her absence on a temporary basis.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, told CNN that he does not know when she will return but that he “hope[s] she comes back soon.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters Wednesday, “She’s back here in Washington. And she’s raring to go to help the people of California,” but stopped short of saying when she will return to the Senate.

Feinstein herself also released a statement saying that she is back in D.C. so she can “resume” her Senate duties while still in recovery from the shingles virus:

I have returned to Washington and am prepared to resume my duties in the Senate. I’m grateful for all the well-wishes over the past couple of months and for the excellent care that I received from my medical team in San Francisco.

The Senate faces many important issues, but the most pressing is to ensure our government doesn’t default on its financial obligations. I also look forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee considering the president’s judicial nominees.

Even though I’ve made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I’m still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus. My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule as I return to the Senate. I’m hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover. [Emphasis added]

During her absence, she has received calls to resign from many on the left wanting to end the gridlock, including Democrat Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Additionally, over 60 left-leaning groups from California called for her to resign from her U.S. Senate seat after missing dozens of Senate votes.

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.