Democrat Cutting Off Dianne Feinstein’s Speech Caught in Hot Mic Moment

One of California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein’s colleagues appeared to be hurrying her vote during a hearing on a key defense appropriations bill Thursday, renewing concerns over the 90-year-old’s ability to perform at her peak.

Ahead of a procedural roll call vote, Patty Murray—a Washington State Democrat and the chairwoman of the committee—could be heard on a hot mic telling Feinstein to “just say aye” as she was preparing to read a prepared statement about her vote during a portion of the hearing where members only vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a legislation’s passage.

After a few sentences, an aide whispers something unintelligible to her, after which Murray can again be heard urging Feinstein to vote ‘aye’ on the measure before thanking the 90-year-old California Democrat.

In some respects, it was an understandable error. Debate on the bill had just ended and, as the most senior committee member, Feinstein was first-in-line to vote—a fact staffers highlighted in response to Newsweek’s requests for comment.

“Trying to complete all of the appropriations bills before recess, the committee markup this morning was a little chaotic, constantly switching back and forth between statements, votes, and debate and the order of bills,” a Feinstein spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “The senator was preoccupied, didn’t realize debate had just ended and a vote was called. She started to give a statement, was informed it was a vote and then cast her vote.”

Regardless, the incident only reignited concerns over Feinstein’s advanced age amid longstanding questions over her continued ability to perform her duties in Congress.

Earlier this year, Feinstein underwent a prolonged leave of absence after undergoing treatment for shingles, temporarily robbing Democrats in the Senate of a clear majority in the closely divided U.S. Senate that prolonged the nomination process for a number of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees.

And while she continues to show flashes of the savvy political and policy mind that once broke barriers as San Francisco’s first female mayor, Feinstein has long been dogged by questions of her mental fitness after a series of news stories—including in her hometown newspaper—depicting Feinstein as mentally unfit to serve, citing frequent lapses in her memory and occasional difficulties tracking policy discussions on Capitol Hill.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chairman Richard Durbin (D-IL) listen to debate during a committee business meeting about Supreme Court ethics reform in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Feinstein’s age and cognitive agility were spotlighted again. Chip Somodevilla/Getty

While Feinstein has so far refused to step down from her seat—and a campaign to replace her rages on without her—the paper’s editorial board opined that if she was determined to be mentally unfit by her colleagues she should resign, citing a series of high-profile incidents involving her.

Newsweek has reached out to Feinstein’s office via email for comment.

Feinstein is just one part of a larger conversation about the dominant hold older politicians—some of whom have been in office longer than some of their colleagues have been alive—continue to have on the machinations of U.S. government.

President Joe Biden, who is currently running for a second term, is the oldest man to ever serve in the post and has regularly been scrutinized for bizarre incidents where he appears to lose his train of thought or, in some cases, unaware of where he is.

Similar allegations followed then-record holder Donald Trump while he was in office, prompting the first calls from the D.C. political class to implement cognitive tests for those seeking higher office.

And on Wednesday, 81-year-old Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell—the highest-ranking Republican in the Senate—stopped speaking in the middle of a sentence during his party’s weekly press conference, sparking widespread speculation about his mental acuity and renewing debates over potential age limits in Congress.

“One trip, one fall, one stumble. One moment when a political leader simply freezes in mid-sentence, goes blank, and has to be escorted away from the podium. And the presidency would hang in the balance,” The Bulwark’s Charlie Sykes wrote for the outlet after the McConnell incident.