周三，加州参议员黛安娜·范斯坦三个月来首次抵达国会大厦，在助手的帮助下，她小心翼翼地从一辆灰色轿车中出来，进入一辆黑色轮椅。
这位89岁的民主党人受到参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默的欢迎，她说，在从带状疱疹中康复期间缺席后，她感觉“好多了”。
范斯坦的到来是在她办公室的一份声明确认她期待已久的回归后不久，该声明指出，随着她的继续康复，她将根据医生的指示进行“更轻松的安排”。
在当天三场参议院投票中的两场之后，她于下午3点左右进入国会大厦。
“尽管我已经取得了显著的进步，能够回到华盛顿，但我仍然受到带状疱疹病毒的一些副作用的影响。我的医生建议我回到参议院后减少工作时间。我希望这些问题会随着我的继续康复而消退，”范斯坦在声明中说。
周三，范斯坦反复问助手，“为什么我不能走路?”在被推进国会大厦之前，她的右眼明显发红。参议员说她有东西在里面。
范斯坦的回归恢复了民主党在参议院51-49的多数席位。在2月份住院后，范斯坦在上议院的缺席成为她所在政党的一些成员的一个症结，他们越来越感到沮丧的是，没有她，共和党人可以阻止民主党人投票表决乔·拜登总统的司法提名人离开参议院司法委员会。
该党左翼的一些人，包括加利福尼亚州众议员Ro Khanna和纽约州众议员Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez，认为如果范斯坦不下台，联邦司法机构可能会受到损害。
“我想公平地对待黛安娜·范斯坦。我想对她的家庭状况和个人状况保持敏感，”参议院司法委员会主席迪克·德宾周日在CNN上说。“但底线是，委员会和参议院的业务因她的缺席而受到影响。”
2023年5月10日，参议员黛安娜·范斯坦在参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默的陪同下抵达因健康问题长期缺席的美国国会大厦...显示更多undefined
凯文·迪奇/盖蒂图片社
范斯坦在她的声明中说，她期待着“恢复”她在司法委员会的工作。
“参议院面临许多重要问题，但最紧迫的是确保我们的政府不拖欠财政义务。我也期待着恢复我在司法委员会的工作，考虑总统的司法提名，”她说。
Sen. Dianne Feinstein makes long-awaited return to Capitol
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein arrived at the Capitol for the first time in three months on Wednesday, gingerly emerging out of a gray sedan with the help of aides who assisted her into a black wheelchair.
The 89-year-old Democrat, welcomed back by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, said she was feeling "much better" after being absent while she recovered from shingles.
Feinstein's arrival came just moments after a statement from her office confirmed that her long-awaited return, which notes that she will be working on a "lighter schedule" on doctor's orders as she continues to recover.
She entered the Capitol about 3 p.m., following two of the day's three series of Senate votes.
"Even though I've made significant progress and was able to return to Washington, I'm still experiencing some side effects from the shingles virus. My doctors have advised me to work a lighter schedule as I return to the Senate. I'm hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover," Feinstein said in the statement.
On Wednesday, Feinstein asked aides repeatedly, "Why can't I walk?" before being wheeled into the Capitol, with her right eye was visibly red. The senator said said she had something in it.
Feinstein's return restores Democrats' 51-49 majority in the Senate. After being hospitalized in February, Feinstein's absence in the upper chamber had become a sticking point for some members of her party who become increasingly frustrated with the fact that -- without her -- Republicans could block Democrats from voting President Joe Biden's judicial nominees out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Some on the party's left flank, including California Rep. Ro Khanna and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, argued the federal judiciary could be harmed if Feinstein didn't step down.
"I want to treat Dianne Feinstein fairly. I want to be sensitive to her family situation and her personal situation," Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin said on CNN on Sunday. "But the bottom line is, the business of the committee and of the Senate is affected by her absence."
Feinstein, in her statement, said she was looking forward to "resuming" her work on the Judiciary Committee.
"The Senate faces many important issues, but the most pressing is to ensure our government doesn't default on its financial obligations. I also look forward to resuming my work on the Judiciary Committee considering the president's judicial nominees," she said.
