Washington — Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein is on her way back to Washington, D.C., after a lengthy absence from the Senate due to health issues that prompted members of her own party to call for her resignation.
Feinstein departed San Francisco and is expected to arrive in Washington as early as Tuesday evening, her spokesperson confirmed to CBS News.
“I’m glad that my friend Dianne is back in the Senate and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “After talking with her multiple times over the past few weeks, it’s clear she’s back where she wants to be and ready to deliver for California.”
Her return comes as Congress faces a fast-approaching deadline to reach a deal on increasing the debt limit. Her absence left Democrats with a narrow 50-49 margin in the upper chamber.
The California Democrat had not cast a vote since mid-February. She had been hospitalized in California for shingles and then spent weeks recovering at home.
Amid increasing questions about the 89-year-old’s health and her ability to serve, her office declined to specify when she would return to the Senate, saying that she would be back as soon as possible.
Some Democrats called on her to resign, suggesting her prolonged leave was hindering Democrats’ ability to move legislation and judicial nominees. But Feinstein dismissed claims that her absence impacted the confirmation of nominees.
“The Senate continues to swiftly confirm highly qualified individuals to the federal judiciary, including seven more judicial nominees who were confirmed this week,” Feinstein said in a statement last week. “There has been no slowdown.”
“I’m confident that when I return to the Senate, we will be able to move the remaining qualified nominees out of committee quickly and to the Senate floor for a vote,” the statement said.
In April, Feinstein requested that she temporarily be replaced on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but the move was blocked by Republicans.
Nikole Killion contributed reporting.
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