On the recordSeptember 29, 2023
I rise with great sadness today to honor my friend and our colleague Senator Dianne Feinstein. She was a pioneer and a strong and dignified leader. Dianne, who was the longest serving woman in Senate history, had a career marked by many firsts: the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco, the first woman Senator to represent California, the first woman to serve as the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the first woman to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Dianne was such a strong presence in the Senate. She was a determined and tenacious advocate. Many of us worked closely with her on the Intelligence Committee, where she was such an excellent chairman. She was always fair, respectful, informed, and strong. We worked together on the Appropriations Committee as well, where she chaired the Energy and Water Subcommittee. Many of us were her allies on the Violence Against Women Act and the Respect for Marriage Act. The Senate and the country have lost a model Senator--elegant, graceful, kind, compassionate, strong, informed, intelligent. I have also lost a dear friend. I put up this watercolor painting that Dianne did and gave me so many years ago. It has hung in my office ever since, and it will have a place of honor there always. Every time I would pass by, I would look at it and think about how talented Dianne was in so many different areas. I treasure this painting.…
