Lawmakers Say Dianne Feinstein’s Mental Fitness Rapidly Worsening, Report Claims

Topline

At least four senators, including three Democrats, and a California U.S. House representative are among a group of lawmakers who spoke anonymously to the San Francisco Chronicle to say they were seriously concerned longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) memory is fading to the point where it is difficult for her to do her job.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) attends a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, … [+] Science, and Related Agencies hearing on June 9, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Stefani Reynolds/The New York Times)

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Key Facts

The lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern about compromising their relationships with the 88-year-old senator, described observing regular memory lapses from Feinstein, alleging on her worst days she cannot recognize longtime colleagues.

Feinstein also has regular difficulty keeping up with conversations about matters like bills, according to lawmakers, with one member of Congress saying there is “just no trace” of the commanding presence Feinstein held for decades in the Senate.

One lawmaker told the Chronicle they were so concerned after a conversation with Feinstein that they pushed colleagues for an intervention to convince the senator to retire before her term ends in early 2025.

Feinstein appears to rely much more heavily on her staff than other senators, according to the Chronicle, though staff turnover in her office has increased every year since 2017.

Concerns about Feinstein’s mental fitness have been raised before, notably in a 2020 New Yorker article where those close to her voiced similar worries about her mental state; Feinstein told the Los Angeles Times after the New Yorker piece was published that “I don’t feel my cognitive abilities have diminished.”

In a statement to Forbes through a spokesman, Feinstein address the the mental fitness concerns by saying: “The real question is whether I’m still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am.”

Crucial Quote

“I have worked with her for a long time and long enough to know what she was like just a few years ago: always in command, always in charge, on top of the details, basically couldn’t resist a conversation where she was driving some bill or some idea. All of that is gone,” a lawmaker told the Chronicle.

Contra

The lawmakers said there are times when Feinstein still appears sharp, like during last month’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice-designate Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Chief Critic

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted the accusations against Feinstein, telling the Chronicle she is “working relentlessly to ensure Californians’ needs are met and voices are heard” and calling it “unconscionable” Feinstein faces such “ridiculous attacks” so soon after the death of her husband of more than 40 years. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) also pushed back against claims Feinstein is unfit to serve.

Key Background

Feinstein boasts one of the most storied political careers of any official still in office, starting with her election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969. She became San Francisco’s first female mayor in 1978, following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Board of Supervisors member Harvey Milk, who was one of the first openly gay elected officials in U.S. history. Feinstein became a senator in 1992, and is now one of the most senior members in the chamber. That seniority has led to her being assigned prominent roles on numerous high-profile committees, like the Senate Judiciary Committee, which the lawmakers told the Chronicle makes it even more critical any issues of mental unfitness are quickly addressed.

Tangent

Feinstein has come under increasing scrutiny over the past few years for her apparent mental lapses, following 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearings during the confirmation process for Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Feinstein stunned fellow Democrats at the hearings’ conclusion when she praised then-Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for overseeing “one of the best set of hearings that I’ve participated in,” while most Democrats decried the proceedings as rushed. The comments led to calls for Feinstein’s resignation.