Dianne Feinstein returns to the Senate after almost three months of absence

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) returned to the Senate Wednesday afternoon after a three-month absence due to a bout of shingles.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) was there to greet Feinstein when his car pulled up in front of the camera. The 89-year-old veteran senator slowly got out of the car and, with the help of her assistant, she sat in a waiting wheelchair.

“Where I go?” she was heard asking, as she slowly settled into the wheelchair. Her hand visibly trembled as she took a seat.

“I have something in my eye,” he said, his eye appearing bloodshot.

“Hello, Dianne,” Schumer said, walking over to greet her.

“Hi Chuck,” Feinstein replied.

The California senator then addressed the assembled reporters for her return.

“Hello everyone,” he told the crowd. A reporter asked her how she felt. “Much better,” she replied.

Schumer walked alongside Feinstein as she was led into the Senate. The California senator did not respond to a vociferous question about her reaction when some members of her party called for her to resign.

Feinstein returned to Washington, DC, on Tuesday, but was not there to vote that night and missed another round of voting on Wednesday. Before his arrival in the afternoon, several of his fellow Democrats did not know when he was expected to return to the chamber.

“Let me know when you find out,” Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) told HuffPost, when asked if he knew when he would vote again.

Earlier in the afternoon, Feinstein’s office released a statement explaining that he is still dealing with the effects of shingles.

“Although I have made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I am still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus,” he said in his statement. “My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule when I return to the Senate. I hope those issues lessen as I continue to recover.”

Feinstein was initially diagnosed with shingles on February 26 by her doctor in San Francisco. She was briefly hospitalized until March 6 and then returned home to continue her recovery.

His prolonged absence from the Senate has made it much more difficult for Democrats to do business, given their slim 51-49 majority. His absence has perhaps been most felt in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where some of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees have been deadlocked because Democrats need their vote to get candidates off the committee.

Feinstein plans to retire in January 2025. But in the midst of his long absence, some House Democrats have called for him to step down so someone else can actively fill his position to help Democrats pass bills and confirm more judges. However, no senator has asked him to resign.

Feinstein’s office offered some new details about the senator’s health on Wednesday, indicating that she is still suffering from vision and balance problems due to the shingles virus. Those side effects are expected to be temporary, but it’s not clear how long they will last.

His office also noted that Feinstein “may also at times require the use of a wheelchair to travel around the Capitol.”