‘She was a force.’ VP Kamala Harris, other VIPs remember Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Political leaders from California and across the country gathered Thursday under a blazing sun on the steps of San Francisco City Hall to bid farewell to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who broke gender barriers, authored landmark legislation and became one of her native city’s most beloved figures.

Feinstein died at age 90 last Friday in Washington, D.C. But instead of lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, which is more traditional for senators who pass, Feinstein chose to be memorialized at home, where she was the first woman to serve as mayor.

The funeral was the second day of remembrance. On Wednesday, her casket was laid inside City Hall for members of the public to pay their respects.

Speakers Thursday included Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Feinstein’s granddaughter, Eileen Mariano. President Joe Biden delivered virtual remarks.

“Sen. Feinstein. That is her official title. It’s how Californians and people all over the world knew her. But to us, the San Franciscans, she was Mayor Dianne Feinstein,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed, only the second woman to lead the city, who delivered opening remarks.

Breed said Feinstein led the way so that other women and girls could follow in her footsteps.

“She created a world where girls like me could be tough, where we lead,” Breed said.

Harris called Feinstein an “American patriot, giant of the Senate” and “a passionate leader.”

“To put it simply, she was a force,” she said.

When Harris had her first meeting with Feinstein after she was sworn into the Senate, she said that Feinstein handed her a glass of California Chardonnay and a binder full of her draft bills.

“True to her mayoral roots, she was deeply immersed in the details of each bill and how each would play on the streets of our beloved state,” she said.

Schumer remembered Feinstein for her integrity.

“She had an internal gyroscope that propelled her, motivated her,” he said, adding that her moral compass “sparkled like a diamond” and allowed her win over her doubters and detractors.

Feinstein’s granddaughter Eileen Mariano listed off her accomplishments — from saving San Francisco’s cable cars and creating the city’s iconic Pier 39 to modernizing California’s water system and establishing Joshua Tree National Park to banning assault weapons and creating amber alerts at the national level.

In addition to her public achievements Mariano said she was “the most incredible grandmother” who taught her some of her greatest life lessons, including that there “is no occasion to which you can’t wear a black pantsuit.”

“Your family loves you. We are so proud of you. We miss you. And you will always, always be my sunshine,” she said.

The service ended with the San Francisco Girls’ Choir singing “San Francisco.”

Other major figures in attendance included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Gov. Jerry Brown, Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, San Francisco state lawmakers Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblyman Phil Ting, and dozens of members of Congress.

Feinstein’s legacy was ever present at the memorial. Speakers were forced to pause periodically as the Blue Angels Navy fighter jets practicing for weekend air shows, flew overhead. Mid-speech, Breed thanked Feinstein for bringing the fighter jets to the city in the early 1980s.

She started her political career in 1969 by winning a seat on the Board of Supervisors. From there, she became the board’s chair and later mayor in 1978. She served until 1988 and helped bring the 1984 Democratic National Convention to the city.

In 1992, Feinstein was elected as one of California’s first two women U.S. senators alongside Barbara Boxer.

During her time in Washington D.C., Feinstein became the first woman to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Rules Committee and to be named top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

Her final years were clouded by controversy over her decision to remain in office despite failing health. Her condition, along with that of Biden and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, prompted a broader debate about whether elected officials should be subject to age limits.

After three days of intense speculation over who Gov. Gavin Newsom would name to replace the late senator, the governor announced Sunday that he selected Laphonza Butler, a former labor leader and top California Democratic advisor. Most recently, Butler was president of EMILY’s List, an influential women’s political group.

Butler will fill Feinstein’s seat through the end of the current term in January 2025. She has not yet said whether she will enter the race for a full term next year.