Feinstein leaves behind an impressive record.
Senator Dianne Feinstein’s death at age 90 seems to have agitated further the debate about Congressional age and term limits. On the one hand, the long-term Democrat from California is lauded for being the first female mayor of San Francisco, then one of the first female state senators, elected on the same night as former Senator Barbara Boxer. Feinstein leaves behind an impressive record. On the other hand, criticism of her age and, in the end, the need for assistance fuels the call for mandatory retirement.
Despite Feinstein’s age when she ran for re-election in 2018, her constituents sent her back to Washington for a sixth term. After being diagnosed with shingles early this year and suffering from encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Feinstein announced in February that she would not seek re-election in 2024. Ever the dedicated politician, she insisted on finishing what she started.
While her death provides the perfect chance to celebrate her many accomplishments, there is no respite from the ageist and ableist rhetoric about her being too old to serve and requiring a wheelchair.
Ageist and ableist comments are prominent in a CBS broadcast about Feinstein’s passing, shared on YouTube.
