Dianne Feinstein's final vote: Moment trailblazing Democrat, 90, is helped onto ... trends now

Just hours before her death, 90-year-old Dianne Feinstein was helped onto the Senate floor for the final public act of her trailblazing career.

The California Democrat, holding onto her aide's arm, slowly raised her hand to vote 'aye' on Thursday morning in a procedural vote for short-term government funding.

Feinstein walked in without the wheelchair she used in the final months of her 30-year Senate career as her health deteriorated following a bout with shingles.

After giving her colleagues a brief wave, she was escorted out again following her last fleeting appearance in the upper chamber. 

Feinstein later missed two Senate votes in the afternoon. 

Her office confirmed on Friday that she had passed away overnight in her Washington D.C. home.

Tearful colleagues returned to the floor on Friday morning to pay tribute to the first female mayor of San Francisco and California's longest-serving senator.

Her daughters Katherine and Nancy were in the gallery alongside Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a fellow California lawmaker and friend of the family, as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle remembered the late senator as a political powerhouse who broke through gender barriers.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer led senators in a moment of silence and a vase of white roses sat on Feinstein's desk, which was draped in a black cloth.

'There are few women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother,' her chief of staff James Sauls said in a statement. 'Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state.'

The longtime Democratic senator had suffered from health issues in the past year, including a case of shingles that kept her away from the Senate for a month. She also fell at her San Francisco home in August and was briefly hospitalized.

Feinstein stayed in her Senate role despite pressure to resign due to her declining health.  She used a wheelchair in the Senate and aides had been seen directing her how to vote.

She was the fifth-oldest person to serve in the Senate. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California will appoint her replacement. 

'She was a political giant, whose tenacity was matched by her grace. She broke down barriers and glass ceilings but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation. And she was a fighter,' Newsom said in a statement. 

President Joe Biden called her 'a pioneering American. A true trailblazer. And for Jill and me, a cherished friend.'

'There's no better example of her skillful legislating and sheer force of will than when she turned passion into purpose, and led the fight to ban assault weapons. Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties. She's made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations,' he said in a statement. 

Paying tribute on the Senate floor Schumer called her a 'giant of the Senate.'

'Senator Dianne Feinstein was one of the most amazing people who ever graced the Senate who ever graced the country,' he said. 

'Her integrity shone like a beacon across the Senate and across the country for all to see. 

'Dianne didn't just put push down doors that were closed for women. She held them open for generations of a woman after her to follow her.'

Schumer choked up as he said: 'Today, there are 25 women serving in this chamber and every one of them admit they stand on Diane's shoulders.' 

'The sign of a leader is someone who dedicates the whole of their spirit for a cause greater than themselves. The sign of a hero is someone who fights for others who endures for others, no matter the cost, no matter the odds. And the sign of a friend is someone who stands by your side to fight the good fight on the good days and on the bad.'

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke of the friendship he and his wife had with Feinstein and her husband.

'She was an incredibly effective person at every line at every level, and she was at all of those levels on the way to the Senate,' he said of Feinstein. 'Those of us who were fortunate to call Diane our colleague can see we served alongside the longest serving female senator in American history.'

Senators then took to the floor to pay tribute. Many of them showed paintings of flowers that were gifts from Feinstein.

'I'm so sorry I didn't hug her yesterday,' Democratic Senator Patty Murray said. 

In her remarks on the Senate floor, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski called out those who had called on Feinstein to resign: 'I think it pained us all - it certainly pained me - in just these past months to see what I believed to be grossly unfair attacks on a woman who was in failing health.' 

Her fellow California Senator Alex Padilla said in a statement: 'Dianne gave me one of my first jobs in politics in her Los Angeles office at the start of my career as I was looking to make a difference in California. It's in part thanks to her groundbreaking career that a Latino son of immigrants could one day not just work for her, but work alongside her in fighting to keep the American Dream alive.'

Feinstein suggested to Newsom that he appoint Padilla to Kamala Harris' Senate seat after Harris was elected vice president. Newsom did so and Padilla went on to win the seat in his own right.

Padilla broke down in tears on the Senate floor on Friday when he honored Feinstein.

'Her ability to bridge divides and find that consensus, especially on the thorniest issues, was a testament to her dedication to the principles of our democracy,' he said. 

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said she was 'heartbroken' to hear of Feinstein's death. 

'Dianne's extraordinary career will continue to inspire countless young women and girls to pursue public service for generations to come,' she said in a statement.