90 year old Senator, Dianne Feinstein, was briefly hospitalized after tripping and falling at her San Francisco residence on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Feinstein reported that the lawmaker was taken to a nearby hospital and was released later that evening.
“Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home,” her spokesperson said. “All of her scans were clear and she returned home.”
Feinstein has had several health issues recently. One of those health issues had her admitted at a San Francisco hospital to be treated for shingles back in March. While an initial statement expressed optimism that she would return to the Senate later that month, her leave ultimately stretched for more than two months.
Despite being ready to resume her duties, Feinstein returned in May, but was using a wheelchair.
But reports since have offered windows into Feinstein’s health, with the senator at one point seemingly forgetting that she had been absent from the Senate, telling a reporter, “I’ve been here” when asked about her return after the two-month absence.
Then, in early August, a document surfaced showing that Feinstein had given her daughter power of attorney. This move raised many eyebrows as to why Feinstein was putting precautions in action pertaining to her health and future passing.
Feinstein, a six-term senator and the oldest member of Congress, announced in February 2023, that she would not seek reelection in 2024.
That announcement came prior to her hospitalization but amid rumors of cognitive decline, leading other notable California Democrats to announce bids to replace her.
Initially, Feinstein pushed back on such claims of decline, even after the 2022 publication of a lengthy report, by the San Francisco Chronicle, in which four U.S. senators, including three Democrats, and three former staffers and a California Democrat serving in the House of Representatives all said Feinstein’s memory was deteriorating to the point that they felt she could not fulfill her job duties without the help of her staff.
Feinstein’s press team shared a statement back in April: “I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was re-elected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire.”
