WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announced her decision to not run for reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2024, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement saluting her remarkable record of ongoing public service and achievement:

“Before Dianne Feinstein came along, there were only six women in U.S. history who served in the U.S. Senate for more than a year.  Thanks in part to the trail blazed by Senator Feinstein, there are and will be countless more who follow in her footsteps and continue to be inspired by her legacy.

“The fearless mayor-turned-U.S. Senator from California is a dedicated public servant who has broken gender barriers and helped pass impactful laws to benefit working people, the environment, and public safety.

“Senator Feinstein is a political pioneer who etched her place in the history through hard work and effective legislating.  She became the first female mayor of San Francisco in 1978 and went on to become the first woman from California elected to the U.S. Senate.  Senator Feinstein was the first woman to chair the Select Committee on Intelligence and the first woman to preside over a U.S. presidential inauguration.  In 1993, she and Senator Barbara Boxer teamed up as the first two women to serve simultaneously as U.S. Senators from California.

“Throughout her career, Senator Feinstein has prioritized people and results and demonstrated a willingness to work across the aisle to get things done, whether it was banning assault weapons, creating the breast cancer stamp, or rigorously overseeing the U.S. Intelligence community and enacting needed reforms.

“It is an honor to serve alongside Senator Feinstein, and I appreciate her leadership and friendship.  I look forward to continuing our work together over the next two years, and salute her historic contributions to California and the nation.

“She will leave this institution as the longest serving female U.S. Senator in history.  But she is also quick to note that records are made to be broken.”