Dianne Feinstein: Her Legacy in American Politics

Rolling Stones

Recently one of the most famous and notorious senators passed. Dianne Feinstein paved the path for women to hold positions of power in government. 

Born on June 22, 1933, in San Francisco, California, Feinstein spent her childhood attending the Convent of the Sacred Heart and later went to college at Stanford University graduating in 1955. 

In 1969, Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming its first female president. She was appointed to the position and held the presidency until December 1978, kicking off her career in government. At age 45, after running twice, she became the first female mayor of San Francisco and maintained her position for 10 more years! 

The New Yorker

In 1992, Dianne Feinstein became the first Californian female Senator, keeping her position until her recent death on September 29, 2023. From all this evidence of her trailblazing life, it is clear that Dianne Feinstein was a very important public figure, but what did she stand for and what did she believe? 

Feinstein advocated for many things such as gun control, abortion access, and environmental protection. One of the most important milestones in Feinstein’s career was her role in passing the Assault Weapons Ban in 1994 and although it expired in 2004, she continued to advocate for gun control legislation. The Assault Weapons Ban prohibited the manufacture, transfer, or possession of semi-automatic assault weapons and was part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. 

Los Angeles Times

Feinstein also helped outlaw the use of torture in the CIA. In December 2014, a case study found that after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the CIA used several cruel torture methods. These methods included walling, slamming a person's head against a fake wall, hooding, disorienting prisoners by putting a hood over their head, sleep deprivation, time disorientation, waterboarding, simulated drowning, sexual humiliation, and deprivation of warmth, water, and food. Vox found that the CIA’s actions were illegal, proven to be “fruitless” and almost never provided any information from its victims. 

Dianne Feinstein also supported the Violence Against Women Act that passed in 1994. She successfully pushed for its reauthorization in 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2022, and it will hopefully be reauthorized again in 2027.

Overall Dianne Feinstein was a very influential Democratic Senator who pushed against gun violence and advocated for women’s rights while helping create and shape politics until her passing. Feinstein's legacy for women in politics and advocating for meaningful reform has permanently changed U.S. politics.