California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been hospitalized for shingles, receiving treatment for the virus.
Feinstein was diagnosed with the virus in late February and is expected to make a full recovery. Due to her hospitalization, the 89-year-old lawmaker missed multiple votes this week.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein hospitalized in San Francisco
— Philip Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) March 2, 2023
With two democrat senators hospitalized, the senate is tied at 49-49. Senators must be present to vote https://t.co/lLF0Z9tpbm
“I was diagnosed over the February recess with a case of shingles,” she said in a statement on Thursday. “I have been hospitalized and am receiving treatment in San Francisco and expect to make a full recovery. I hope to return to the Senate later this month.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shingles is a non-life-threatening viral infection that typically results in a painful rash with blisters that can be spread to people who have never had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccination.
This comes after Feinstein, California’s longest-serving senator, announced last month that she would not seek re-election this year.
“I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends,” the Democrat said in a statement.
“I campaigned in 2018 on several priorities for California and the nation: preventing and combating wildfires, mitigating the effects of record-setting drought, responding to the homelessness crisis, and ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health care. Congress has enacted legislation on all of these topics over the past several years, but more needs to be done – and I will continue these efforts,” she continued.
Feinstein also said that she would remain “focused on passing common sense legislation to fight the epidemic of gun violence, preserving our pristine lands and promoting economic growth – especially to position California for what I believe will be the century of the Pacific.”
“I’m confident we can achieve these goals because we’ve done it before. From the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban to the 2014 CIA torture report, from preserving Lake Tahoe and the Mojave Desert to passing the first significant global warming legislation, from protecting student athletes from abuse to protecting consumers from harmful chemicals, and more recently improving our efforts to combat wildfire and drought, we have improved the lives of millions,” she added.
