Senator Dianne Feinstein
As California's senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has built a reputation as an independent voice, working with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing California and the Nation.
Since her election to the Senate in 1992, Senator Feinstein has worked in a bipartisan way to build a significant record of legislative accomplishments – helping to strengthen the nation's security both here and abroad, combat crime and violence, battle cancer, and protect natural resources in California and across the country.
In the 111th Congress, Senator Feinstein assumed the chairmanship of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where she oversees the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies – the first female Senator to hold that position.
Senator Feinstein is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, where she chairs the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. Senator Feinstein also serves on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, which she chaired during the 110th Congress. In that capacity, Senator Feinstein was the first woman to chair the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, and presided over the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.
Senator Feinstein's career has been one of firsts. She was the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first female Mayor of San Francisco, the first female elected Senator of California, and the first female member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
During the 110th Congress, Senator Feinstein became the first woman to chair the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. In that capacity, Senator Feinstein served as the Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Services – overseeing the official swearing in ceremony for our nation’s 44th President, Barack Obama. Most recently, Senator Feinstein became the first female senator to assume the chairmanship of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
A native of San Francisco, she was elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors in 1969 and served 2 1/2 terms as president of the board. She became Mayor of San Francisco in November 1978 following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
The following year she was elected to the first of two four-year terms. As mayor, Dianne Feinstein managed the City's finances with a firm hand, balancing nine budgets in a row. In 1987, City and State Magazine named her the nation's "Most Effective Mayor."
As a senator, Senator Feinstein has received a number of awards for her service, including the 2007 Legislator of the Year award from the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, the Charles Dick Medal of Merit from the California National Guard (October 2007), the Grammy on the Hill award from the Recording Academy (September 2006), the League of California Cities Congressional Leader of the Year Award (May 2006), the William Penn Mott Jr. Park Leadership Award for singular outstanding achievement on behalf of National Park protecting (March 2006), the Outstanding Member of the U.S. Senate Award by the National Narcotic Officers Associations Coalition (February 2005), the Funding Hero Award from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (October 2004), the Women of Achievement Award from the Century City Chamber of Commerce (October 2004), and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service in 2001.
For further information on Senator Feinstein, her accomplishments, her legislative priorities, or on obtaining constituent services from her office, please go to her website at http://feinstein.senate.gov.
