Feinstein expressed confusion over Kamala Harris presiding over Senate: report

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) reportedly expressed confusion last year when Vice President Harris was presiding over the Senate to cast a tiebreaking vote, according to a new report detailing the difficulties the ailing lawmaker faces as she continues her work in the Senate.

The new report from The New York Times outlines the many functions Feinstein’s staff is playing as the 89-year-old senator returns to work after bouts with shingles and encephalitis earlier this year.

The Harris example, however, reportedly took place last year and illustrates the difficulty Feinstein has had recalling, at times, the basics of how the Senate operates. According to the new report, Feinstein expressed confusion to her colleagues when she saw Harris presiding over the chamber, in one of many tiebreaking votes the vice president has had to cast.

“What is she doing here?” Feinstein asked, according to the report. The report cites “a person who witnessed the scene.”

Reports of Feinstein’s memory issues stem back more than a year. And since returning to the Senate after a months-long absence because of her illness, the California Democrat appears frailer than she once had and relies more on her staff to help do her job.

Feinstein announced in February she would not run for reelection in 2024 but said she would continue serving the remainder of her term. Some Democrats began calling for her to resign during her prolonged absence, but momentum has slowed on the issue since she has returned to work.

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