California Democrat recovers after minor fall

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 90-year-old senior U.S. senator from California, was hospitalized Tuesday after a fall at her San Francisco home.

Feinstein’s spokesperson, Adam Russell, said the senator was taken to the hospital as a precaution after the fall, but that all of her scans were clear and she was released later that day.

The fall is the latest in a series of health setbacks for Feinstein. She missed nearly three months of votes in the Senate earlier this year as she recovered from shingles. Since then, she has been seen getting around Capitol Hill in a wheelchair, and has shown signs of confusion in both hallway interviews and during committee hearings.

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Adding to the concerns about Feinstein’s mental acuity, her daughter, Katherine Feinstein, has power of attorney over the lawmaker, according to court documents related to her late husband’s estate.

Feinstein’s Senate term expires in January 2025, and she is not seeking reelection. California Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee are competing to replace her in the deep-blue state.

Feinstein has faced Democratic calls to step down from her position early, which would scramble the Senate race and allow Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to name a replacement. He promised in 2021 that, given the chance, he would name a Black woman.

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Several judicial nominees stalled in the Judiciary Committee during Feinstein’s absence. She asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to replace her on the panel, but Republicans balked at the request and promised to block any such effort. Since her return, calls for Feinstein to step down early have quieted.