Photo Credit: The Hill
Sen. Dianne Feinstein encountered an awkward moment during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday when she mistakenly began delivering a speech instead of casting her vote.
The incident occurred during a roll call vote on the defense appropriations bill Thursday morning. Feinstein veered into a statement expressing her support for the measure, prompting a staffer and Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to intervene and remind her to simply say “aye.”
“I would like to support a yes vote on this, it provides $823 billion. That’s an increase of $26 billion for the Department of Defense and it funds priorities submitted…” Feinstein said before being cut off by a staffer instructing her to “Just vote ‘Aye.’”
“Just say ‘Aye,’” Murray added.
After a brief pause, Feinstein eventually responded with an “Aye.”
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Feinstein attributed the moment to a slightly chaotic markup session as the committee worked to complete all appropriations bills before recess. The spokesperson explained that the senator was preoccupied, did not realize the debate had concluded, and a vote was called. Once informed, she promptly cast her vote.
Feinstein, 90, announced earlier in the year that she would not seek re-election and subsequently missed over two months of work while recovering from a serious case of shingles.
Despite her return to work and consistent presence in recent months, Feinstein has had visible instances of confusion. Earlier this year, she appeared to contradict herself when telling reporters she had not decided whether to seek another term after announcing her 2024 plans. Additionally, upon returning to the Capitol, she claimed, “I haven’t been gone. I’ve been working.”
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Source: The Hill
