Within moments of the announcement of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death on Friday, public praise of the senator’s 30-year-career representing California poured in from President Joe Biden, Gov. Gavin Newsom and more.
Biden called Feinstein “a pioneering American,” “true trailblazer” and a “cherished friend.”
“Serving in the Senate together for more than 15 years, I had a front row seat to what Dianne was able to accomplish,” Biden said on Twitter. “It’s why I recruited her to serve on the Judiciary Committee when I was Chairman – I knew what she was made of, and I wanted her on our team. There’s no better example of her skillful legislating and sheer force of will than when she turned passion into purpose, and led the fight to ban assault weapons.”
He added: “Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties. She’s made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations. Often the only woman in the room, Dianne was a role model for so many Americans.”
Former President Barack Obama said on Twitter that Feinstein would be “rightly remembered as a trailblazer” as the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco and the first woman elected to the Senate from California.
“Once she broke those barriers and walked through those doors, she got to work,” Obama said. “The best politicians get into public service because they care about this country and the people they represent. That was certainly true of Dianne Feinstein, and all of us are better for it. Today Michelle and I are thinking of her daughter, Katherine, and everyone who knew and loved her.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a teary speech on the Senate floor commemorating Feinstein’s career.
“Today there are 25 women standing in this chamber,” he said. “Every one of them will admit, they stand on Diane’s shoulders.”
Newsom, who now must appoint a temporary replacement for Feinstein, called the senator “a dear friend, a lifelong mentor, and a role model not only for me, but to my wife and daughters for what a powerful, effective leader looks like.”
“She was a political giant, whose tenacity was matched by her grace. She broke down barriers and glass ceilings, but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation,” Newsom said. “She was a fighter — for the city, the state and the country she loved. Every race she won, she made history, but her story , just about being the first woman in a particular political office, it was what she did for California, and for America, with that power once she earned it. That’s what she should be remembered for.”
Meanwhile, former Hollywood studio chief Sherry Lansing paid tribute to Feinstein, telling TheWrap: “Dianne was one of the finest senators our state and nation have ever known. Her legacy of accomplishment will be heralded for generations to come. It was my privilege to call Dianne my friend. She was unusually down-to-earth and had a great sense of humor. Her memory will remain alive in my heart forever.”
During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press ” earlier this month, Newsom said he hoped that Feinstein would be able to complete her term.
“I’ve known Dianne Feinstein since I as a kid,” Newsom said in the interview. “I interned with her when I was in college. I hope I don’t have to make another appointment.”
