Sen. Feinstein in Hospital After Fall at San Francisco Home

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was hospitalized in San Francisco for most of the day on Tuesday due to a fall in her home, prompting concerns to rise once again if she is still fit enough to serve as a U.S. Senator.

For years, the health declination of Senator Feinstein has been a recurring issue in both California and Washington D.C. Most notably, Feinstein faced numerous health questions in 2017 following the installation of a pacemaker and in 2020 after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg when many commentators noted health issues between the two.

The most intense questions to date came earlier this year in February, when recovery from shingles at her home in San Francisco took longer than expected. In April, she temporarily left the Judiciary Committee, hoping to have an interim replacement cover for her. However, Republicans rejected the plan, forcing the Committee to only approve Judges whom members from both parties could agree on. With many potential judges held back, critical Senate votes coming up that were reliant on passage with a vote from Feinstein, and concerns growing about her health, Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) began to lead the charge to get her to resign. At its peak, dozens of Congressional members, Senators, and leftist/liberal groups pressured Feinstein to resign.

While she eventually returned in May, the whole ordeal ultimately raised too many questions. While she had announced earlier that she wouldn’t be running for Senate reelection in 2024, the shingles saga led many to continue to pine for her resignation, with several groups even putting pressure on Governor Gavin Newsom on who to choose for his interim pick. Complicating matters was the reveal that Feinstein’s health problems were also much worse than originally reported, further fueling resign talk.

Feinstein’s latest health scare

While she then had a few good months, declination occurred once again in late July. An episode where she was severely confused for several minutes during a Defense Appropriations committee worried many last month. While some calls for her resignation were restarted following that, the calls grew even stronger on Wednesday after her latest hospitalization on Tuesday.

According to reports, Senator Feinstein fell in her San Francisco home on Tuesday. As a result, the 90-year-old Feinstein was immediately sent to the hospital, where she underwent tests and scans. She was eventually released late on Tuesday following news that the results were clear.

Feinstein officials played down the severity of the fall in a statement on Tuesday.

“Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home,” said Feinstein Spokesman Adam Russell. “All of her scans were clear and she returned home.”

Despite the statement, the incident intensified calls for Feinstein to resign on Wednesday.

“Before her fall on Tuesday, she was already facing considerable heat due to that Appropriations incident as well as more and more polls finding that about two-thirds of all Californian voters want her to resign,” Bay Area pollster Evelyn Archer told the Globe Wednesday. “Look at how fast her office jumped on that statement and the wording they used. You know, it was ‘brief’. It was ‘minor.’ They’re using all the usual safety words. But even if they are true, it is still yet another thing that happened with Feinstein that doesn’t look good.”

“People fall in the homes all the time. For most people, this wouldn’t be that interesting. But everyone is looking at Feinstein’s health right now. Every little thing builds up. And that’s what Tuesday is. It is likely just a small incident, but it’s one that people can point to and adds to the growing list of health issues and scares for her. One minor fall for her is another piece of proof for those that want her out that she just can’t serve any more.”

More on Feinstein’s current health status is likely to come in soon as more and more questions are being raised over her health.