Dianne Feinstein’s daughter and granddaughter led her tributes as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 83, joined to honor the late senator as her casket lay in state at San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday.
Mourners lined the streets to honor the nation’s longest-serving female senator — who represented California in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades.
Feinstein died less than a week ago on September 29, 2023 at 2:00 PM. from natural causes at her home in Washington, DC. She was 90 when she died. Her daughter Katherine was by her side.
Katherine Feinstein, her husband Rick Mariano and their daughter Eileen Mariano cried as her casket was carried to City Hall by members of law enforcement.
In her final days, Feinstein was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with her late husband Richard Blum’s three daughters and the administrators of his vast estate.
Dianne Feinstein’s son-in-law Rick Mariano, granddaughter Eileen Marian, daughter Katherine Feinstein and San Francisco Mayor London Breed hold hands as the late senator’s casket is carried to San Francisco City Hall to lie in state Wednesday
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Pelosi is joined by her husband Paul Pelosi and members of Feinstein’s family in honor of the senator who died last week at the age of 90
She accused the trustees of elder abuse, asked for them to be removed from their positions and accused them of improperly financially enriching his three daughters. She appointed her own daughter, Katherine Feinstein, with her power of attorney.
Representative Pelosi said she cannot leave one of her offices in the Capitol as she attends Feinstein’s tribute.
Speaker Pro Temp Patrick McHenry, who will serve in that role until a new speaker is elected, said Pelosi will have extended use of the Capitol office space traditionally reserved for former House speakers. Pelosi will maintain her congressional office in the Cannon House Office Building.
“Unfortunately, because I am in California to mourn the loss of and pay tribute to my dear friend Dianne Feinstein, I am unable to retrieve my assets at this time,” she said of Republicans’ decision to order her to leave space.
Before his confirmation, Feinstein was the oldest serving U.S. senator and member of Congress, as well as the longest-serving senator from California and the longest-serving female senator in its history.
Leading up to her death, Feinstein had a series of health problems – and was largely wheelchair-bound in her final months – leading many people to wonder whether she should resign to allow a younger, fitter and healthier person to take her place.
Feinstein’s health deteriorated rapidly after a bout with shingles, which kept her away from the Senate — and from voting — for a month. When she returned, Feinstein was seen having aides telling her how to cast her vote.
This led to increasing calls for her resignation.
The late senator also fell at her San Francisco home in August and was briefly hospitalized.
Mourners lined the streets of San Francisco to pay tribute to the late senator
The day before Feinstein’s death, she entered without the wheelchair she used in the final months of her 30-year Senate career to vote to delay a government shutdown
Representative Nancy Pelosi, 83, hugs Feinstein’s casket as it lies in state at San Francisco City Hall
Katherine Feinstein hugs her daughter Eileen Feinstein Mariano as they mourn their mother and grandmother in San Francisco on Wednesday
Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the U.S. Senate, meaning that even one senator falling out of committee or missing from a vote could jeopardize the chances of advancing their agenda.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Democratic strategist and former Kamala Harris adviser Laphonza Butler to fill Feinstein’s seat.
Last week, the California Democrat made her final act as a senator by voting “yes” on a procedural vote for a short-term government funding bill aimed at breaking a shutdown. Last Thursday, she left her wheelchair and walked onto the Senate floor, holding her aide’s arm.
Feinstein married young in 1960 and became a divorced single mother to her daughter Katherine. Her second husband, Bert Feinstein, was 19 years her senior, but she described the marriage as “a 10” and kept his name even after his death from cancer in 1978.
In 1980, she married investment banker Richard Blum, and his wealth made her one of the richest members of the Senate. He died in February 2022.
She is survived by her daughter, Katherine Feinstein, a Superior Court judge in San Francisco County; her son-in-law, Rick Mariano; and her granddaughter, Eileen Feinstein Mariano.
Feinstein was the longest-serving female U.S. senator and was 90 when she died on September 29. Her death followed a year of declining health, including a bout of shingles that kept her out of the Senate for a month and a fall on September 29. her home in San Francisco in August. Pictured: San Francisco Mayor London Breed prays at Feinstein’s casket at City Hall on Wednesday
Feinstein’s daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law mourn her while others line the streets to also pay tribute to the trailblazing late senator