Global Courant 2023-05-29 13:18:48
California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, was reportedly flummoxed last year after seeing Vice President Kamala Harris preside over the Senate for a tiebreaker vote.
Feinstein, 89, appeared at one ballot not to know why Harris, who had previously cut numerous ties, was assuming her role as Senate President, according to a report from The New York Times.
A witness included in the report said Feinstein reportedly asked colleagues, “What is she doing here?”
With a 50-50 majority in the Senate for the first two years of the Biden administration, Democrats needed every member of their party plus Harris’s casting vote to pass many bills and nominations.
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Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was reportedly flummoxed last year after watching Vice President Kamala Harris preside over the Senate for a tiebreaker vote. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The senator’s deteriorating memory was well documented last year, with some lawmakers and former aides telling the San Francisco Chronicle that she can no longer perform her duties and represent California’s nearly 40 million residents without substantial help from aides.
This year, Feinstein was absent from the Senate from February to May because she was dealing with complications from shingles. When she returned, she was suffering from a neurological condition, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which stemmed from her struggle with shingles.
A week after returning to Capitol Hill after her three-month absence, Feinstein seemed unaware that she had been gone. After a reporter asked about her colleagues’ reaction to her return on May 16, Feinstein claimed she never left.
Senator Feinstein was absent from the Senate from February to May because she was dealing with complications from shingles. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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“No, I haven’t been out,” Feinstein said. “You need the… I haven’t been away. I have worked.’
Feinstein has relied heavily on aides to function since her return to the upper room. According to The New York Times, staff push her wheelchair, remind her how and when to vote, and explain what happens if she gets confused.
Senator Dianne Feinstein has relied heavily on aides to function since her return to Capitol Hill. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Some Democratic lawmakers are calling for Feinstein to step down because of cognitive decline and an inability to fulfill her duties. Representatives Ro Khanna, California; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, NY; Ritchie Torres, NY; and Rashida Tlaib, Michigan, have all urged the senator to resign.
Feinstein announced in February that she would not run for re-election in 2024, but would complete the remainder of her term. She served in the upper room for 30 years.
