The longest-serving female senator in the history of the United States, Dianne Feinstein who died passed on during the week has been mourned by President Joe Biden and many Americans.
Feinstein, described as a titan of US political history for achieving a string of legislative feats during a trailblazing three-decade career in the Senate died at the age of 90.
As the Senate’s oldest member, Feinstein was celebrated as a pioneer for women in politics and a hugely effective legislator.
During a career that began in the local California government, she grew to be a tough check on administrations from both parties.
She died at her Washington residence which her chief of staff, James Sauls confirmed in a statement on Friday.
‘There are few women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother. Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state,’ said Sauls.
Read Also: Biden Appoints 2 Nigerian-Americans As His Advisers
In a press statement by the White House, Biden described Feinstein as ‘a true trailblazer’ who ‘showed enormous poise and courage in the wake of tragedy, and became a powerful voice for American values.’
‘Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties. She’s made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations.
‘Often the only woman in the room, Dianne was a role model for so many Americans – a job she took seriously by mentoring countless public servants, many of whom now serve in my Administration.
‘She had an immense impact on younger female leaders for whom she generously opened doors. Dianne was tough, sharp, always prepared, and never pulled a punch, but she was also a kind and loyal friend, and that’s what Jill and I will miss the most.
‘As we mourn with her daughter Katherine and the Feinstein family, her team in the Senate, and the people of California, we take comfort that Dianne is reunited again with her beloved Richard. May God Bless Dianne Feinstein.’
Also, former US president, Barack Obama penned down tribute on his X account, describing Feinstein as ‘a fierce advocate for gun safety measures and civil rights.’
‘Dianne Feinstein will be rightly remembered as a trailblazer—the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco and the first woman elected to the Senate from California. But once she broke those barriers and walked through those doors, she got to work,’ Obama wrote.
‘I first got to know Dianne in the Senate, where she was a fierce advocate for gun safety measures and civil rights. Later, when I was president, I came to rely on her as a trusted partner in the fight to guarantee affordable healthcare and economic opportunity for everyone.
‘The best politicians get into public service because they care about this country and the people they represent. That was certainly true of Dianne Feinstein, and all of us are better for it. Today Michelle and I are thinking of her daughter, Katherine, and everyone who knew and loved her.’
Africa Today News, New York reports that tributes have continued to pour in for the late American politician who served as a California senator from 1992 to 2023.
A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988.
The Californian, whose husband died of cancer last year was the first female mayor after the fatal shooting in 1978 of city official Harvey Milk, then the country’s only openly gay politician, and mayor George Moscone by a disgruntled former colleague.
Democrats in her home state led tributes as news of the senator’s death cast a pall over Congress, with staff placing flowers on Feinstein’s desk in the Senate chamber.