Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told a reporter that she hasn’t been gone following a three-month absence while she recovered from the shingles virus, according to a report.
The comment was captured during a recent exchange with reporters after the senator voted against legislation that would invalidate some of the recent crime bills passed by the Washington D.C. council, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Feinstein, according to the report, told reporters about an issue with her leg but said overall she was feeling better, then a separate reporter asked about the messages she received from other Senators after returning last week.
“What have I heard about what?” Feinstein asked.
“About your return,” the reporter said.
“I haven’t been gone,” Feinstein said. “You should … I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”
“You’ve been working from home is what you’re saying?” the reporter responded.
“No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting. Please, either know or don’t know,” Feinstein allegedly said back.
Feinstein then went by in her wheelchair and didn’t answer further questions.
The California senator, who’s 89, returned to the U.S. Capitol on May 10 after being diagnosed with the shingles virus in early 2023.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement upon her return that he’s happy his “friend Dianne is back in the Senate and ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work.”
SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN RETURNS TO WASHINGTON, DC FOLLOWING MONTHS-LONG ABSENCE
Feinstein’s original medical diagnosis was shared with Fox News Digital in a statement on March 2.
“I was diagnosed over the February recess with a case of shingles. I have been hospitalized and am receiving treatment in San Francisco,” Feinstein’s office said. “I hope to return to the Senate later this month.”
Some in Congress, however, say it’s time for Feinstein to resign.
DIANNE FEINSTEIN ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024
“It’s time for [Feinstein] to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on Twitter. “While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was also among those who called for Feinstein’s resignation.
“Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary — precisely where [reproductive] rights are getting stripped,” Ocasio-Cortez said earlier. “That failure means now in this precious window Dems can only pass GOP-approved nominees.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Feinstein’s office for comment.
Fox News’ Kyle Morris and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
