Californians are paying their respects to the late US Senator Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday as she lies in state at San Francisco City Hall, where the veteran lawmaker first made her mark in politics.
(Bloomberg) — Californians are paying their respects to the late US Senator Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday as she lies in state at San Francisco City Hall, where the veteran lawmaker first made her mark in politics.
Feinstein, who served as San Francisco’s first female mayor before spending more than 30 years in the Senate, will be commemorated under the rotunda of the Beaux-Arts building, framed by a marble staircase where the public can view her casket until 7 p.m.
local time.
A San Francisco native, Feinstein died last week at age 90. The Democrat was known on Capitol Hill for her staunch advocacy, particularly in challenging the gun industry and confronting the nation’s use of harsh interrogation techniques on CIA detainees suspected of terrorism.
But it was in her hometown where she first rose to prominence.
In 1978, Feinstein was thrust onto the national stage in the hours after the City Hall assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Feinstein, who had seen the killer, ex-Supervisor Dan White, run by her office, discovered Milk’s body and checked for a pulse.
She had only a short time to wipe off his blood before it fell to her, next in the line to the mayor’s seat, to tell the city what had happened.
Composed and steely, Feinstein assured people that San Francisco would recover from the “spiritual damage” of the killings.
She spent almost 10 years as mayor, steering the city, with its large gay population, through the AIDS crisis and other challenges.
Read more: Feinstein blazed path in Senate, with legacy of ‘feminist life’
Following the public viewing on Wednesday, a public memorial service will take place on Thursday at the steps of City Hall at 1 p.m.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi will speak at the memorial, which has over 1,500 invited guests.
Feinstein’s family will attend a private funeral service on Thursday after the memorial event.
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