Feinstein, who is 89, was out of the Senate from February to May because of problems caused by shingles.
Last year, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was said to have been confused when she saw Vice President Kamala Harris running the Senate for a tie-breaking vote.
The New York Times said that Feinstein, who is 89, didn’t seem to know why Harris, who had broken many ties in the past, was taking over as president of the Senate during one vote.
There was a time when I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career.
During the first two years of the Biden presidency, the Senate had a 50-50 majority split. This meant that many bills and nominations needed the votes of all Democrats and Harris to pass.
Last year, it was well known that the senator’s memory was getting worse. Lawmakers and former aides told the San Francisco Chronicle that she can no longer do her job and serve nearly 40 million people in California without a lot of help from her staff.
This year, Feinstein missed the Senate from February until May because she was sick with shingles and its consequences. When she came back, she had a neurological problem called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which was caused by the shingles she had.
Feinstein didn’t seem to remember that she had been gone for three months a week after she returned to Capitol Hill after being gone for three months. When a reporter asked Feinstein on May 16 how her friends felt about her coming back, she said she had never left.
“No, I haven’t been gone,” Feinstein said. “You should follow the, but I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”
Since she went back to the upper chamber, Feinstein has counted on her staff a lot. The New York Times says that staff members push her wheelchair, tell her how and when to vote, and explain what’s going on if she gets confused.
Some Democratic politicians want Feinstein to step down because she is losing her memory and can’t do her job. Representatives Ro Khanna from California, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, Ritchie Torres from New York, and Rashida Tlaib from Michigan have all asked the senator to step down.
Feinstein said in February that she would not run for office again in 2024, but she would finish out the rest of her time. She has spent 30 years in the upper house.
