Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a life in photos

By Chris Hale and Bill Clark

Posted September 29, 2023 at 1:22pm

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving woman in the Senate, died Thursday night — Sept. 28, 2023 — at the age of 90.

The California Democrat first came to the Senate in 1992 after serving as the first woman mayor of San Francisco. Feinstein was a trailblazer for women, becoming the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat.

Here are some photos from the Roll Call archives of Feinstein’s long tenure on Capitol Hill.

West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd, right, presents Feinstein and her husband, Richard C. Blum, with his book about the history of the Senate in November 1992. (Laura Patterson/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein is pictured with Illinois Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for Zoe Baird to be U.S. attorney general in January 1993. (Michael Jenkins/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein and other female members of Congress conduct a news conference in May 1994 to discuss assault weapons legislation. (Laura Patterson/CQ Roll Call)

Lisa Leslie of the U.S. women’s national team presents Feinstein with an autographed basketball in 1995. (CQ Roll Call archival photo)

Feinstein, second from right, appears with fellow female senators, from left, Susan Collins of Maine, Patty Murray of Washington, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana in 1997. (CQ Roll Call archival photo)

Sen. Arlen Specter presents Feinstein with pretzels and mustard from Philadelphia in 2001 after the Pennsylvania Republican lost an NBA Finals bet with the California Democrat when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein holds a news conference with fellow California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in November 2003. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein and Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York are pictured in the Capitol in January 2005. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein holds a news conference on May 3, 2011, on the U.S. operation resulting in the death of Osama bin Laden. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein speaks during a news conference in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 24, 2013, about the assault weapons ban of 2013. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

In April 2016, Feinstein shows Supreme Court justice nominee Merrick Garland a vase given to her by former South Korea President Kim Dae-jung. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein is seen with fellow California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris as they arrive in the Capitol for a vote in September 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Recording artist Smokey Robinson gives Feinstein a kiss as Iowa Republican Sen. Charles E. Grassley looks on before the start of a Judiciary Committee hearing in May 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein speaks to reporters in the Dirksen Building in November 2018 as she arrives for a Judiciary Committee markup. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein elbow-bumps Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina in June 2020 before the start of a hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein appears with then-Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer in the Capitol in September 2019. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Feinstein, center, takes a photo in the Capitol’s Ohio Clock Corridor on June 8, 2023, to mark National Seersucker Day with, from left, Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Susan Collins of Maine. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)