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By Maura Zurick
Weekend Night Editor
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Photos and videos of Senator Dianne Feinstein returning to Capitol Hill on Wednesday after a monthslong absence due to illness unleashed an avalanche of calls for members of Congress to have term limits.
Calls have been escalating for Feinstein to resign for months, even from her own party, after the 89-year-old California Democrat was hospitalized with shingles in early March and missed dozens of Senate votes in Washington, D.C., while she continued to recover at her San Francisco home. U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of California was one of the first Democratic lawmakers to openly call for Feinstein to step down as her absence from the Judiciary Committee was hindering the judicial confirmation process, saying she can "no longer fulfill" her duties in the Senate. Shortly afterward, Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota tweeted that it was a "dereliction of duty" for Feinstein to remain in office.
Feinstein, who first was elected to the Senate in 1992 and is the oldest member of the current Congress, has received some bipartisan support amid the calls for her to retire. However, the veteran Democrat's illness coincided with Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania seeking treatment for depression, meaning the Democratic Party, which holds a 51-49 party split in the upper chamber, has struggled to pass legislation and other measures. Last week, Feinstein clapped back at critics, saying in a statement, "There has been no slowdown."
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She went back to work Wednesday and said in an online statement that she is "prepared to resume my duties in the Senate." Feinstein expressed gratitude for all the "well-wishes" she received while recovering and thanked her medical team for their care.
"The Senate faces many important issues, but the most pressing is to ensure our government doesn't default on its financial obligations," she said. "I also look forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee considering the president's judicial nominees."
However, despite being ready to resume her duties, Feinstein said she is still experiencing temporary side effects from the virus including vision and balance impairments, which require her at times to use a wheelchair. Her doctors have recommended that she maintain a lighter schedule.
Newsweek reached out via email to representatives for Feinstein.
After photos and videos circulated of her return, Feinstein's name quickly became a trending topic on social media with thousands of Twitter users weighing in on the lawmaker's appearance, health and age. Feinstein, who turns 90 years old next month, is one of five members of Congress who are 85 or older, according to Fiscal Note.
One Twitter post, which included a photo of Feinstein Wednesday afternoon, asked users what came to mind after seeing the image. The tweet garnered more than 4,000 replies, with many calling for term limits.
One person's two-word reply raked in more than 800 likes. Dozens of others echoed the same response.
Another user shared the same picture of Feinstein, pointing to her as to why the U.S. needs term limits.
"Feinstein is the perfect example of why we need term limits," the person tweeted.
Others called for the longtime lawmaker to retire, with many making harsh comments about her looks and use of a wheelchair.
"This person is obviously unable to fulfil their constitutional duties. Frankly, I would be afraid of coughing near her in case I killed her. Why won't these people retire gracefully?" one person said in a Twitter post.
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