Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the oldest and longest-serving female member of Congress, has died at the age of 90, it was announced on Friday morning.
No cause of death was immediately available at the time of the announcement, CNN reported.
The veteran lawmaker was celebrated online by her colleagues in the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle in the minutes after the announcement of her passing:
Feinstein was the first woman elected to represent California in the Senate.
The former mayor of San Francisco was first elected to the upper chamber in 1992 and she was due to retire in January 2025, after she announced she would not seek another term next fall.
Feinstein was born in the city on June 22, 1933.
In recent months, since a prolonged absence earlier this year due to health issues, Feinstein had declined calls on her to resign.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom had previously vowed to appoint a black woman to replace her in the event she did retire early.
Feinstein was known throughout her career for her opposition to gun rights and for her support of abortion.
Her third husband, Richard Blum, whom she married in 1980, died in February of last year at the age of 86.
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