The Washington Examiner reported that California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned to Capitol Hill this week after being absent for three months due to shingles.
However, the fact that Feinstein is no longer missing likely won't silence questions about whether she is fit for office.
Footage of the longtime lawmaker was tweeted out by CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju on Wednesday, and it showed Feinstein relying on a wheelchair.
Dianne Feinstein, 89, returns to the Senate after being absent since February and recovering from shingles pic.twitter.com/FcMJr7ddni
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 10, 2023
"I’m grateful for all the well-wishes over the past couple of months and for the excellent care that I received from my medical team in San Francisco," the Examiner quoted her as saying in a statement.
"Even though I’ve made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I’m still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus," she continued.
"My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule as I return to the Senate. I’m hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover," Feinstein explained.
Fox News reported that Feinstein was nearly an hour late in arriving for a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Shingles apparently aren't the senator's only health problem, as there have long been concerns over whether she is mentally fit to hold office.
One of her Democratic colleagues spoke anonymously to the San Francisco Chronicle late last year and described a notable decline in her cognitive abilities.
"I have worked with her for a long time and long enough to know what she was like just a few years ago: always in command, always in charge, on top of the details, basically couldn’t resist a conversation where she was driving some bill or some idea," the lawmaker said before adding, "All of that is gone."
That led California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to take the unusual step of calling for Feinstein's resignation last month.
"It’s time for [Sen. Feinstein] to resign," Khanna said in a tweet. "We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty."
It’s time for @SenFeinstein to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. 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.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) April 12, 2023
