Feinstein Says She’s Back in DC But Will Work A ‘Lighter Schedule’ Per Doctor Advisement

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 13: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) walks to the Senate Chambers during a series of the votes at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. Officials announced over the w... WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 13: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) walks to the Senate Chambers during a series of the votes at the U.S. Capitol Building on February 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. Officials announced over the weekend that for the fourth time in two weeks U.S. forces had shot down a high flying object in North American airspace. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) MORE LESS

May 10, 2023 2:58 p.m.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is officially back to work in D.C. after a nearly three-month absence as she recovered from shingles.

“I have returned to Washington and am prepared to resume my duties in the Senate,” Feinstein announced in a Tuesday statement.

Feinstein — who sits on the Judiciary Committee — has been absent from the Senate since she was diagnosed and later hospitalized for shingles in late February. During her absence, Feinstein has missed dozens of Senate votes including many on the Senate Judiciary Committee where her presence is crucial to move President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees to the floor.

The 89-year-old senator’s lengthy absence and its effect on the Judiciary Committee has recently led some House Democrats to call for her resignation.

“I also look forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee considering the president’s judicial nominees,” the longtime senator said in her statement.

But despite being back in D.C., Feinstein was not present to vote on the Senate floor this morning.

“Even though I’ve made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I’m still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus,” Feinstein said. “My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule as I return to the Senate. I’m hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover.”

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Emine Yücel is a national political reporter for TPM. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Emine has contributed to PBS’ Washington Week and NewsHour Weekend and NPR’s Investigations Team. She was a part of the Pulitzer Prize finalist NPR investigations reporting team that exposed how local government agencies throughout the U.S. quietly pocketed Social Security benefits intended for children in foster care. She was also the recipient of PBS’ Gwen Ifill Fellowship. Emine double majored in African American studies and Neuroscience at Northwestern University, where she also competed on the varsity fencing team. She later received her master’s degree in Social Justice and Investigative Reporting from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern.

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