By Rebecca Shabad and Dareh Gregorian - NBC News
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has died at age 90, her office said Friday. She was the oldest senator, and the woman who has served the longest in the upper house. She was a prominent gun control activist, and often tried to forge consensus with Republicans during her three decades of service in the Senate, sometimes even provoking the frustration of her Democratic colleagues.
Last February he announced his intention to retire at the end of this mandate, after facing requests to that effect due to his fragile state of health.
Feinstein's health had been in the public eye for months after she was absent from the Senate for three months after recovering from shingles, an infection that can cause a painful rash and for which she had to be hospitalized in March.
According to an NBC News tally, the Democrat missed more than 90 votes during her illness, a very sensitive absence for Democrats on Capitol Hill, who have a single senator advantage over Republicans and struggled to confirm some candidates for public office of President Joe Biden.
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After he announced his retirement, Biden, who was a senator, praised her, saying, "[She is] a passionate defender of civil liberties and a strong voice in favor of national security policies that keep us safe while honoring our values."
"I have served alongside more senators than anyone," Biden said in a statement then, "I can honestly say she is one of the best."
Feinstein was under pressure for years from other California Democrats to make way for a younger generation of lawmakers who could take her seat.
[Senator Dianne Feinstein announces she will not run for re-election in 2024, opening the battle for her succession in California]
Currently, a trio of House Democrats — Barbara Lee, Adam B. Schiff and Katie Porter — are locked in a battle to succeed Feinstein in the Democratic state in the 2024 election.