Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was a force of nature—she was a combination of courage, grace, and strength. A beacon of inspiration and hope to all who knew her and the millions of lives she touched.
She was among the most gifted legislators the Senate has ever known. As a freshman senator, she was able to pass the Assault Weapons Ban, which had never been done before. The legislation limited the number and caliber of bullets that could be sold. According to a study from New York University's Langone Medical Center, mass shootings were 70 percent less likely to occur during the period Feinstein's Assault Weapons Ban was in effect.
Amazingly, also as a freshman, senator, Feinstein championed preserving California's desert landscapes. She passed the California Desert Protection Act that made Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks. The bill preserved and protected more than 7.6 million acres of California desert wilderness.
Passing such monumental legislation like the Assault Weapons Ban as a freshman senator is unheard of; doing it as one of only seven women in the Senate is almost unfathomable. She also helped lead the charge to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in 2012 and 2022. Further, working across the aisle, she successfully integrated disparate state-level child-abduction emergency broadcasting systems, now known as the Amber Alert program. Throughout her tenure, she tirelessly fought for reproductive and LGBTQ rights.
She was such a successful legislator because she was simultaneously charming and tough, unwavering in her commitment to passing good policy for the people of California and the nation. She was well respected across the aisle for her deep understanding of issues. She truly wanted to bring people together and work with Republicans, independents, and Democrats. She always did her homework and deeply studied an issue before taking a position on it. She developed particular expertise in national defense, intelligence, and energy policy.
She broke numerous glass ceilings, including becoming the first woman president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman mayor of San Francisco, the first woman to serve as United States senator for California, the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first woman to chair the Senate Rules and Intelligence Committees, the first woman to preside over a presidential inauguration, and the longest-serving woman to serve as a senator in history.
When Dianne Feinstein was on your side, you were in really good shape, and when she was against you, you were not going to win. I learned that firsthand, she beat me for the U.S. Senate in 1992. We got past it and became friends, and as governor, she was a vociferous ally and source of wisdom for me. I was proud to partner with her and sign legislation that closed loopholes and strengthened the federal Assault Weapons Ban that she led.
We talked regularly when I was governor. We worked very closely to protect Lake Tahoe. Our conversations and her relationships made a huge difference. She and Senate Leader Harry Reid worked tirelessly to make Tahoe a better place to live and visit.
She was unflappable in a time of crisis. She proved her mettle by becoming mayor of San Francisco after Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated. After the sentencing of their killer, there were riots in the streets of San Francisco. During the crisis, when I was Governor Jerry Brown's chief of staff, she called me at 2:00 a.m. asking to mobilize the California Highway Patrol. I did. I was impressed by her clarity of purpose, wisdom, and competence during this pivotal period.
Dianne was one of a kind. I will miss her a greatly. Sharon and I send our deepest condolences to Katherine and the rest of her family.
Joseph "Gray" Davis was the 37th governor of California. Governor Davis was awarded the Bronze Star as a U.S. Army captain for his service during the Vietnam War for meritorious service.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
