President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris among scheduled speakers at Feinstein memorial
SAN FRANCISCO -- The memorial service for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein being held at San Francisco City Hall Thursday afternoon will feature speakers including Vice President Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a recorded message from President Joe Biden.
UPDATE: Mourners pay respects to Sen. Dianne Feinstein at San Francisco City Hall
Officials released the list of speakers at the memorial Tuesday afternoon. In addition to live appearances by Harris and Pelosi and the recorded message from Mr. Biden, other speakers include San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Senate Majority Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Sen. Feinstein's granddaughter, Eileen Mariano.
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Feinstein's office had originally announced on Monday that the memorial service would be held at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in Herbst Theatre and closed to the public due to limited space, though a livestream would be available. Officials later announced that the service would be held outside on the steps to San Francisco's City Hall with standing room available for the public in Civic Center Plaza.
UPDATE: Sen. Feinstein memorial service no longer open to the public because of security concerns
However, early Wednesday afternoon, officials decided against allowing the public to attend due to security concerns. The service will still be held on the steps outside City Hall where Feinstein was lying in state Wednesday. Officials were advising attendees and press to be prepared for warm weather.
The service will still be livestreamed on the San Francisco government YouTube page. CBS News Bay Area plans to provide coverage of the memorial service both on air and online.
Following the service, Feinstein will be buried at a private ceremony for family only.
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On Wednesday, the public will be invited to pay their respects and sign a condolence book between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. inside the rotunda of City Hall, where Feinstein became San Francisco's first woman mayor and first woman president of the city's Board of Supervisors before moving on to become the longest-serving woman senator in U.S. history.
Polk Street will close to traffic in front of City Hall from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday while Feinstein lies in state.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi spoke at length about her friend and fellow congresswoman Feinstein at an event celebrating San Francisco Fleet Week Tuesday morning.
"She is carried in the hearts of so many people," said Pelosi. "When she was mayor for such a long time -- ten years -- after other people started to run for mayor following her term limit, little children were saying, 'Oh, can a man be a mayor of San Francisco?'"
Pelosi continued, "So she did this with great poise and purpose, coming into office in such a sad, sad, tragic way," referring to Feinstein taking the job after the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978. Feinstein later called the day of the assassinations "the darkest day of my life."
"This is a very generous and lovely person. The love she had for the City of San Francisco, for her state of California and for our country really was legendary," Pelosi said. "Not only was she a great, proud patriot and champion of national security, she launched the first Fleet Week in 1981."
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San Francisco Fleet Week officials announced after Feinstein's passing that this year's Fleet Week would be dedicated to her memory and service. The Patriot Jet Team will be flying in the "Missing Person" formation during the weekend air shows to honor Feinstein.
