Dianne Feinstein Saying She Hasn’t ‘Been Gone’ From Senate Raises Eyebrows

Senator Dianne Feinstein said on Tuesday she has not “been gone” from the Senate—following a months-long absence that sparked calls for her resignation.

Feinstein, an 89-year-old California Democrat, returned to the Senate last week after recovering from shingles in her San Francisco home, ending a two-month period of absence that raised concerns about her fitness to serve. Feinstein missed dozens of votes, and her absence meant that the Senate Judiciary Committee was unable to confirm some of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees.

Critics questioned whether Feinstein was able to fulfill her duties, with many saying she should resign to prevent future judicial backlogs and ensure Californians are being well represented in Congress’s upper chamber.

A new report on Tuesday further raised eyebrows about whether or not Feinstein remains fit to serve. The Los Angeles Times reported that in conversations with two reporters, Feinstein appeared to deny that she was ever absent from the Senate.

During a brief interview on Tuesday, Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes reportedly asked Feinstein about the well-wishes she has received from her fellow Senators following her return. But she in turn asked, “What have I heard about what?”

“I haven’t been gone,” she said after Oreskes clarified his question. “You should…I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”

Oreskes then asked if she meant that she had been working from home prior to returning to the Senate.

“No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting,” she said, declining to answer any further questions. “Please, either know or don’t know.”

An account of the conversation was confirmed by Slate Magazine, as reporter Jim Newell also witnessed it and described her response as “concerning” in his own article about it.

Newsweek reached out to Feinstein’s office for comment via email.

The report appeared to renew concerns about Feinstein’s fitness to serve from many on social media.

“If you’re a Democratic senator and you’re not at least privately urging Feinstein to resign, and urging Schumer and Durbin to take action, you have failed the people who sent you to Congress. You’re lying to yourselves that this is *okay*,” tweeted MSNBC Host Mehdi Hasan.

“This was the exchange. I’m sorry but I don’t know how anyone can read this and say, yes! Dianne Feinstein is fit to serve office,” tweeted Democratic commentator Victor Shi.

“Here is a concerning interview with Sen. Feinstein in which she does not appear to be in touch with reality. (The only way to remove her is expulsion thru a 2/3 vote in the Senate and Dems would lose the seat-only 15 people have been removed this way,” tweeted writer Amee Vanderpool.

Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992 as part of the “Year of the Woman,” as a record number of women were elected to Congress. Prior to serving in the Senate, Feinstein also served as the mayor of San Francisco for nearly a decade.

She announced in February that she would not be seeking re-election in 2024.