Should She Resign?: 90-Year-Old Dianne Feinstein Relinquishes Power Of Attorney Yet Remains In Congress

On Thursday evening, a new report out from The New York Times revealed that 90-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has given her daughter power of attorney despite still serving in Congress after 1992.

According to The Times, power of attorney was given to 66-year-old Katherine Feinstein because of recent legal battles taking place between Senator Feinstein and her late husband Richard Blum’s estate.

According to various court documents, Katherine Feinstein is in a legal dispute with Blum's three daughters over a beach property as well as Blum's life insurance payout. The justification for Senator Feinstein to receive the life insurance money is that her increasing medical bills are a burden to her financially.

As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, Senator Feinstein has been called upon to resign after a series of medical episodes and senior moments while in Congress. 

Just last week, the ailing senator's staffers had to intervene during a routine vote on the Defense Authorization bill with some of her staffers directing her to "just say aye" in a hot mic moment that went viral.

The clip features Feinstein going on an unplanned rant about supporting the vote with the senator saying, "It provides 823 billion, that's an increase of 26 billion for the Department of Defense and it funds priorities submitted-" she said before being cut off by her staff.

The aged senator is planning to retire from Congress following the conclusion of her term in 2025, however, that hasn't caused many on both sides of the aisle from calling upon her to resign her seat and have Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) select her replacement.

Feinstein was hospitalized earlier this year with shingles, eventually being released to her home for roughly two months to rest before returning to the upper chamber. 

Upon returning to Congress in May, she made several bizarre statements while staffers pushed her around in her wheelchair. She is reported to have said, "You should — I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working." When questioned on whether by working she meant she had been working remotely from California due to her convalescence, she insisted, "No, I’ve been here. I’ve been voting...Please. You either know or don’t know."

According to The Washington Post, Feinstein faces increased complications from her illness including encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, both diseases that can be severe.

Americans, and Californians in particular, shouldn't stand for this. Sen. Feinstein and her family believe that she shouldn't have control over her own legal actions yet they still allow her to serve as a representative in the most powerful body on Earth. She should resign immediately and allow a more youthful and capable individual to take her place rather than wait till 2025.

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