Sen. Dianne Feinstein recovering after hospital visit for “minor fall” at California home

Washington — Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was briefly taken to the hospital after falling at her home in San Francisco on Tuesday, her office said, the latest medical setback for the longtime Democratic lawmaker.

“Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home. All of her scans were clear and she returned home,” her office said in a statement Wednesday.

The 90-year-old senator was away from Washington, D.C., for almost three months earlier this year after she was hospitalized with shingles and complications from the disease. She spent weeks recovering at home in California, delaying Senate business.

The fall comes days after Insider reported that Feinstein has given power of attorney to her daughter, and as some of her colleagues have expressed concerns about her current health and capabilities. TMZ first reported Feinstein’s fall on Wednesday.

After her return to Washington earlier this year, Feinstein insisted she “hadn’t been gone,” according to the Los Angeles Times and Slate. And last month, an apparently confused Feinstein had to be prompted by colleagues multiple times to simply vote “aye” in a committee meeting, instead of making remarks. 

Feinstein isn’t the only senator whose health has prompted concern on Capitol Hill lately. Last month, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, froze during a press conference, seemingly unable to speak. A McConnell aide insisted he was “lightheaded.”

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.