California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein returned to the United States Capitol on Wednesday after being absent from the chamber for nearly three months following a diagnosis of shingles earlier this year.
Feinstein — the oldest senator at 89 and the longest-serving senator — was pictured getting out of a vehicle and getting into a wheelchair outside the Capitol on Wednesday, where she was greeted by the majority leader in the Senate Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.
With the help of her staff, Feinstein was then wheeled into the Capitol as Schumer walked beside her wheelchair. His return to work restores the 51-49 majority of Democrats in the Senate.
Schumer confirmed the longtime senator’s return to DC in a statement on Tuesday, saying he was glad his “friend Dianne is back in the Senate and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work.”
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN RETURNS TO WASHINGTON, DC AFTER A LONG ABSENCE
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, is shown returning to the United States Capitol on Wednesday after being absent from the chamber following a diagnosis of shingles. (Chip Somodevilla, Kevin Dietsch, Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
On March 2, Feinstein revealed that she had been hospitalized with shingles at San Francisco, Californiaadding that she hoped to return to the Senate “later this month.”
“I was diagnosed over February break with a case of shingles. I was hospitalized and receiving treatment in San Francisco,” Feinstein’s office shared with Fox News Digital at the time. “I hope to return to the Senate later this month.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, exits her vehicle as she returns to the United States Capitol May 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. greets Senator Feinstein upon his return to the Capitol May 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
His nearly three-month absence prompted calls from politicians on both sides of the aisle to the veteran senator to retire.
DIANNE FEINSTEIN ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024
“It’s time to [Feinstein] resign. We must put country before personal loyalty,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, wrote on Twitter. fulfill its functions. Not speaking up undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, returns to Congress, ending an absence of more than two months due to illness, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., also called for the resignation of the senator because several judicial appointments are pending in the senate.
“His refusal to retire or stand is causing great harm to the justice system – precisely where [reproductive] the rights are stripped,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview. “This failure means that now, in this precious window, the Dems can only pass GOP-approved candidates.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, DN.Y., escorts Senator Feinstein upon her arrival at the United States Capitol after an absence due to health issues May 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Feinstein, who took office in 1992 and is the longest-serving senator in California history, announced in February that she would not run again in 2024.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, arrives for the Democratic Senate leadership election on Capitol Hill in Washington on December 8, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
“I am announcing today that I will not be running again in 2024, but I intend to accomplish as much as I can for California through the end of next year when my term ends,” wrote the senator. on Twitter. “Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives.”
Before representing California in the U.S. Senate, Feinstein served as San Francisco’s first female mayor.
Brandon Gillespie of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
