(Headline USA) Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was hospitalized this week after falling in her San Francisco home, according to a spokesperson.
The spokesman claimed that Feinstein, 90, went to the hospital only as a precautionary measure. She “returned home shortly after with no serious injuries,” he said in a statement, adding, “All of her scans were clear, and she returned home.”
Feinstein has had memory and cognition troubles for years, but her health has come under intense scrutiny in recent months. She missed months of crucial votes on judicial nominees in the Senate earlier this year due to a shingles diagnosis, leading several of her colleagues to call on her to resign.
Asked to vote on the defense appropriations bill, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) begins giving a speech: “I would like to support a ‘yes’ vote on this. It provides …”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): “Just say aye.” pic.twitter.com/Gw2eZ9rEMv
— The Recount (@therecount) July 27, 2023
The California senator has said she does not plan to seek reelection in 2024, but has also insisted that she has no plans to retire before then.
Democrat leadership has thus far refrained from calling for Feinstein’s retirement. In a statement on Wednesday, for example, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he is glad she is “doing well.”
“I spoke with Sen. Feinstein this morning. She said she suffered no injuries and briefly went to the hospital as a precaution,” he said in a statement. “I’m glad she is back home now and is doing well.”
Democratic leadership’s silence on the issue has led some to speculate that protecting Feinstein is a part of the plan to put Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., in the Senate. Schiff is one of several House Democrats seeking Feinstein’s seat and has already won over the backing of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
However, his chances at filling the seat would be derailed if Feinstein retires, since California Gov. Gavin Newsom would be expected to honor his commitment to appoint a black, female replacement.
“It’s very tricky, and political, because they want her to stay,” a confidant of the Pelosi family told Politico’s Playbook. “The political thinking is that if DiFi stays as long as possible, it helps Schiff as well.”
