Feinstein, 89, Denies Weeks-Long Senate Absence: ‘I Haven’t Been Gone. I’ve Been Working – I’ve Been Here’

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) told reporters on Tuesday that she hasn’t been absent from Washington while spending two months recovering from illness, despite her being hospitalized in California and not being in D.C. during that time.

“No, I haven’t been gone,” the 89-year-old responded when a reporter asked her about the well-wishes her Senate colleagues have given her since she returned last week after being away from the Capitol for weeks because of complications from shingles. She added, “You should — I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”

Asked if she was referring to working remotely from home, Feinstein replied, “No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting. Please. You either know or don’t know.”

The oldest Senate member returned seven days ago but still missed votes last Wednesday. She missed more than 90 votes in her absence and has given the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee the ability to stall some of President Biden’s court nominees.

During her absence, she received calls to resign from many on the left, including Reps. Ro Khanna, Dean Phillips and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Additionally, over 60 left-leaning groups from her home state called for her to vacate her Senate seat.

The New York Times editorial board has specifically demanded she “should resign and turn over her responsibilities to an appointed successor.” The Times pointed to a report from last year in the San Francisco Chronicle, her hometown newspaper, which revealed that Feinstein’s “memory has so deteriorated that she can no longer fulfill her job duties.”

It further alleged her colleagues have acknowledged she “cannot keep up with conversations … [and] doesn’t seem to fully recognize other senators and relies almost entirely on staff members.”