Feinstein denied that she was suffering from memory loss, but admitted to not recognizing a fellow member of Congress at a recent event.
Four unnamed US senators were quoted in an earlier Thursday report by The Chronicle as saying that Feinstein's memory was quickly degrading. Feinstein said in an editorial that stress was to blame for any memory gaps.
The senator told The Chronicle that the last year has been extremely painful and she is still serving.
A colleague who spoke with The Chronicle on the condition of anonymity said that Feinstein, the oldest member of the US Senate, did not recognize them at a recent event, and that they considered staging an intervention with the senator.
Two senators told The Chronicle that Feinstein had trouble remembering their names.
The Chronicle's report renewed long-held concerns about the 88-year-old California senator's mental fitness, which largely came after a December 2020 report from The New Yorker that included anonymous comments about her age and memory.
The editorial board of The Chronicle wrote that Feinstein came off as diminished but responsive.
According to the editorial, she told the board she was puzzled by the report but admitted that she didn't recognize a colleague at one point. She said that she was grieving the death of her husband.
She told the editorial board that she had had a rough year. This is the second husband I have lost to cancer.
Feinstein has held office as a senator since 1992 and hasn't said if she'll run again in four years.
The office of Nancy Pelosi defended Feinstein and downplayed concerns to The Chronicle, calling her a "workhorse for the people of California and a respected leader among her colleagues in the Senate."
Feinstein defended her record in a new statement to The Chronicle.
She said that she would put her record up against anyone's because of policies and bills.
The record shows that I am an effective representative for 40 million Californians.
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