[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S405-S406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DIANNE FEINSTEIN

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, yesterday, our wonderful colleague from 
California, Senator Dianne Feinstein, announced that she will retire at 
the end of her term.
  I am careful not to throw the word ``legend'' around too often in 
this Chamber, as it truly befits so few, but Dianne Feinstein is 
precisely that. She is a legend.
  She is a legend in California, where she shattered innumerable glass 
ceilings as the first woman Senator from the State. And we forget how, 
even 20, 30 years ago, the barriers which are still in front of women 
were even stronger, so it took a strong, tough, resolute woman to break 
them, and she did.
  She is a legend here in the Senate. The longest serving woman Senator 
in U.S. history, she built a reputation as an expert legislator and a 
leader on so many issues--gun violence, the environment, women's 
rights, and so much more.
  I first got to know Dianne when she led the effort to pass the 1994 
ban on assault weapons in the Senate. I led it in the House. I have 
always been amazed by the sheer depth of her knowledge on the issues 
and how careful she is about learning all of the facts before she goes 
forward and then her seemingly innate ability to convince people on 
both sides of the aisle to work together. That is why her list of 
accomplishments is so long--the assault weapons ban, protecting 
oversight authority during the investigation into U.S. torture, 
championing the Violence Against Women Act. The list goes on and on and 
on.
  But perhaps her greatest legacy is how she blazed a trail for women 
and girls everywhere. Today, there are 25 women serving in this 
Chamber. There are 25 women serving in this Chamber, all of whom stand 
on Dianne's shoulders.
  We are all very glad we have another year and a half with her to 
fight the good fight, and I know she will use that time to fiercely 
advocate for women's rights in all aspects of life and unwaveringly 
represent the people of California.

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