U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein Remembered as Consequential Leader, California Champion

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who represented California for more than 30 years, is being remembered as a skillful legislator, fierce advocate for California, and trailblazer for women in politics.

The California Chamber of Commerce greatly appreciates Senator Feinstein’s steadfast leadership and her understanding of issues affecting the business community. Feinstein, who was 90 years old, passed away September 28 in her Washington D.C. home.

CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera issued the following statement on September 29:

“Today, we join the many voices mourning the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein. She leaves an incredible legacy of leadership and dedication to California and our country and we are grateful for her service.

“Senator Feinstein was not only a trailblazer and an icon as so many have pointed out, but she was a smart, reasonable and intelligent voice advocating for California on the national stage with a tremendous amount of integrity.

“On behalf of all of us at CalChamber, we send our deepest condolences to her family and staff.”

Governor Gavin Newsom said of Senator Feinstein, “She was a political giant, whose tenacity was matched by her grace. She broke down barriers and glass ceilings, but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation. And she was a fighter — for the city, the state and the country she loved. Every race she won, she made history, but her story wasn’t just about being the first woman in a particular political office, it was what she did for California, and for America, with that power once she earned it. That’s what she should be remembered for.”

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla said, “Dianne Feinstein was a towering figure not just in modern California politics, but in the history of our state and our nation. She broke barriers throughout her career.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass added her remembrances, saying, “Senator Feinstein was a trailblazer on whose shoulders I, and women in elected office all across America, will always stand. She worked harder than anyone I knew on Capitol Hill, and she will be remembered as one of the most effective and impactful senators in American history.”

On October 1, Governor Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler, longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris and the president of EMILYs List, to complete Senator Feinstein’s term in the U.S. Senate. The term runs through 2024.