On the recordOctober 4, 2023
Mr. President, as our dear colleague, Senator Dianne Feinstein, is lying in state in San Francisco today, the home where her leadership started for us and for the country, and as we prepare to remember her tomorrow in a special celebration of her life, I rise to pay tribute--tribute to an incredible leader and my dear friend, who dedicated her life to serving the people of California and the Nation. Perhaps ``leader'' isn't strong enough. It is not a strong enough word. She wasn't just a leader. She was an American icon. She inspired generations of women to stand up and suit up and push our way into the halls of power that weren't particularly welcoming. Like so many of us, she started in local government. Unlike many of us, her rise was sparked by tragedy. As president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, it was her job to announce the horrific assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. She was heartbroken. But she was also calm. She was determined. She vowed that her grieving city would recover and rebuild. She was a crucial part of that rebuilding, serving as mayor for 9 years. In 1990, she ran for Governor and lost, but she picked herself back up and said she wasn't done serving her State. In 1992, she ran for the Senate and won, joining five other groundbreaking women who changed the face of this institution forever. Keep in mind that before 1992, there were no women's restrooms anywhere near the Senate Chamber.…
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