California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein was hospitalized with a case of shingles, according to her office Thursday.
“I was diagnosed over the February recess with a case of shingles. I have been hospitalized and am receiving treatment in San Francisco,” read a statement from her office.
She is expected to make a full recovery and return to the Senate later in the month, her office said.
Feinstein announced on February 14 that she was not going to seek re-election after serving for over three decades. She is the oldest current member of the U.S. Senate and was first elected to represent California in the Senate in 1992.
The 89-year-old had faced criticism from those in her own party for staying in her office despite her advanced age. Some accused her of having symptoms of diminished mental capacity.
“There’s a joke on the Hill, we’ve got a great junior senator in Alex Padilla and an experienced staff in Feinstein’s office,” said an anonymous staffer to the San Francisco Chronicle in April.
Others anonymously reported that Feinstein appeared not to remember her longtime friends and colleagues in numerous instances while she served in Congress.
The controversy grew into a furor after Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, also from California, announced her campaign for Feinstein’s senate seat before she had said publicly whether she would retire or seek re-election. Many Democrats attacked Porter for her impertinence while others urged Feinstein to retire.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized Porter for announcing her bid during a natural disaster in California but later himself announced his campaign to fill Feinstein’s senate seat. That election will coincide with the 2024 presidential election.
Here’s more about Feinstein’s retirement:
Sen. Feinstein announces retirementwww.youtube.com
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!