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Dianne Feinstein and Other Senators Like Her Need to Retire
A new report highlighting concerns over the 88-year-old senator’s decline in mental acuity speaks to a larger issue in Congress
When the local newspaper of a sitting senator reports on growing concerns about her mental acuity based on background and quotes provided by members of her own party, the proper responses do not include outright denial and questioning the morality of those raising a legitimate issue.
Still, it is not at all shocking that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not only strongly defended Senator Dianne Feinstein to the San Francisco Chronicle, but wagged her finger at everyone for daring to even (publicly) broach the subject.
In a statement to the paper, Pelosi said she had not noticed a decline in Feinstein’s memory — pointing to her work on the recent reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and the Supreme Court confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
“Senator Feinstein is a workhorse for the people of California and a respected leader among her colleagues in the Senate,” Pelosi explained. “She is constantly traveling between California and the Capitol, working relentlessly to ensure Californians’ needs are met and voices are heard.”
