Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) returned to the Senate last week, despite not fully recovering from what her team claims was a severe case of shingles.
Although she appeared disoriented, tired, and unwell, Democrats were pleased to have her back to advance their agenda.
A recent interaction between the 89-year-old senator and reporters, covered by liberal publications Slate and the Los Angeles Times, suggested that while the California Democrat may be physically present for critical votes, her mental presence may be lacking.
Despite her doctor's recommendation for a "lighter schedule," Sen. Feinstein took the time on Tuesday afternoon to briefly respond to questions from Slate's Jim Newell and other reporters.
Feinstein, who had just returned from voting against a Republican bill that successfully blocked a radical District of Columbia policing law, answered Newell's inquiry about her health from her wheelchair, saying, "Oh, I'm feeling fine. I have a problem with the leg."
When another reporter asked for more details about her leg issue, the senator replied, "Well, nothing that's anyone concern but mine."
A reporter brought up Feinstein's May 10 return and the warm reception she received from her Senate colleagues.
"What have I heard about about what?" asked Feinstein, seemingly confused.
"About your return," the reporter clarified.
"I haven't been gone," Feinstein stated. "You should ... I haven't been gone. I've been working."
Attempting to offer her an explanation, a reporter asked, "You've been working from home is what you're saying?"
"No, I've been here," Feinstein responded, irritated. "I've been voting. Please, you either know or don't know."
Feinstein's team quickly escorted her away after this unsettling exchange.
The Blaze previously reported that the senior Democrat was allegedly diagnosed with shingles on February 26 and was hospitalized until March 6. She has reportedly been in recovery ever since.
A statement attributed to Feinstein regarding her return to Washington, which she does not recall, mentioned that she was "still experiencing temporary side effects from the virus, including vision and balance impairments."
The statement did not address the senator's well-documented cognitive decline.
An anonymous Californian member of Congress told the San Francisco Chronicle in April 2022, "I have worked with her for a long time and long enough to know what she was like just a few years ago: always in command, always in charge, on top of the details, basically couldn't resist a conversation where she was driving some bill or some idea. All of that is gone."
The worried lawmaker added, "She was an intellectual and political force not that long ago, and that's why my encounter with her was so jarring. Because there was just no trace of that."
Feinstein seems to be struggling not only with her previous absence but also with her current presence.
The Huffington Post reported that when Feinstein was initially placed in a wheelchair outside the Senate last week, she inquired, "Where am I going?"
While Feinstein may have difficulty remembering her purpose in the Senate, Democratswho control only 51 of the 100 seats in the Senate and hold a one-person advantage on the Senate Judiciary Committeeare likely to remind her when the next vote approaches.
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