Watch CBS News

Sen. Dianne Feinstein recovering after hospital visit for 'minor fall' at San Francisco home

Should there be an age limit in Congress?
McConnell, Feinstein recent health scares raise questions about imposing age limits 04:09

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was briefly hospitalized after falling at her home in San Francisco on Tuesday, her office said, the latest medical setback for the longtime Democratic lawmaker.

"Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home. All of her scans were clear and she returned home," her office said in a statement Wednesday.

The 90-year-old senator was away from Washington, D.C., for almost three months earlier this year after she was hospitalized with shingles and complications from the disease. She spent weeks recovering at home in California, delaying Senate business. TMZ first reported Feinstein's latest hospitalization on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: 

Feinstein Medical Bills
FILE - Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is assisted to a wheelchair by staff as she returns to the Senate after a more than two-month absence, at the Capitol in Washington on May 10, 2023. J. Scott Applewhite / AP

The fall comes days after Insider reported that Feinstein has given power of attorney to her daughter, and as some of her colleagues are concerned about her current health and capabilities.

After her return to Washington earlier this year, Feinstein insisted she "hadn't been gone," according to the Los Angeles Times and Slate. And last month, an apparently confused Feinstein had to be prompted by colleagues multiple times to simply vote "aye" in a committee meeting, instead of making remarks. 

Feinstein isn't the only senator whose health has prompted concern on Capitol Hill lately. Last month, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, froze during a press conference, seemingly unable to speak. A McConnell aide insisted he was "lightheaded."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.