Hoyer Statement on the Passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein: 

“I join Members of Congress, Californians, and Americans across the nation in mourning the loss of Senator Dianne Feinstein. For over three decades, she was a fixture of the United States Senate and a model leader and legislator. She was also a trailblazer as the longest-serving woman in the Senate in American history. 

“Dianne was a consensus-builder of high intellect, principle, and grit. She demonstrated that not only as a senator, but also as a Member of the San Francisco Board of County Supervisors, and as the city's mayor in the wake of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk's assassination. Crucially, Dianne was a staunch defender of our civil liberties. From fiercely advocating for greater gender equality to championing LGBTQ rights to helping bring an end to the use of torture in the United States, she always sought to protect America's founding values and strengthen its moral foundation.

“I also admired the leadership she displayed in the successful, bipartisan effort to pass the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which continues to serve as a model for how we can combat gun violence in America. We cannot yield until we readopt that transformative law – just as she ardently advocated for Congress to do ever since it allowed the law to expire in 2004.

“Dianne's passing is a loss for Congress, California, the country, and all those who believe in the importance of finding consensus. Amid the dysfunction we see in Congress today, we need more leaders who know how to work across the aisle and foster bipartisanship, just as Dianne did throughout her life. I offer my most sincere condolences to Feinstein's many family members and friends and will keep them in my prayers.”