Tributes pour in for Sen. Dianne Feinstein after death in office at 90

Tributes poured in Friday for late Sen. Dianne Feinstein after she died overnight at 90, cutting short a trailblazing career as longest-serving female senator.

Political figures from both sides of the aisle weighed in on Feinstein’s three-decade career in the Senate, which took her to the heights of leadership in the male-dominated chamber.

“She was smart. She was strong. She was brave. She was compassionate,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate floor on Friday. “But maybe the trait that stood out most of all was her integrity. It shone like a beacon for all to see and hopefully emulate.”

Choking back tears, Schumer pointed to Feinstein’s empty desk in the chamber where a vase of white roses paid somber tribute.

“America is a better place because of Senator Dianne Feinstein,” Schumer said.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader, praised Feinstein as a close personal friend, a “steady hand” and trailblazer in the upper chamber where they often found themselves on opposite sides of votes.

President Biden said she was proud to have worked with Feinstein in the Senate when he named her as the first woman to serve on the Judiciary Committee that he chaired at the time.

“Dianne Feinstein was a pioneering American, a true trailblazer and a dear friend,” Biden said. “I had a front row seat to what Dianne accomplished.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called Feinstein a “role model, mentor and dear friend.”

“She was one of the most powerful voices in the Senate, and she blazed a trail for generations of women who followed her into elected office,” Gillibrand tweeted.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, recalled Feinstein as a towering daughter of their shared hometown of San Francisco.

“Feinstein was a pillar of public service in California, from San Francisco City Hall to the U.S. Capitol,” Pelosi said, adding she “made a magnificent difference.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was three months older than Feinstein and is now the oldest sitting senator at 90.

“Dianne Feinstein did an outstanding job representing the people of California,” Grassley said. “She was a wonderful public servant.”