WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the passing of his colleague, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement:

“There is no one in this body that has been a stronger defender of Democracy and transparency in government than my colleague and friend, Senator Dianne Feinstein. Time and again, she served as an example to her constituents in California, and Americans across the country, that it is important to do what is right regardless of the politics of the moment. In 2014, as the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Feinstein led the release of the report on the review of the CIA detention program following 9/11 which had been prepared by the Intelligence Committee. She stressed the importance of releasing the report publicly, in spite of the argument that it could be used to incite bad will toward our country, saying on the Senate floor that ‘history will judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth…’ Her words and legacy continue to ring true today. We all need to be a little more like my friend Dianne — even when it’s hard. For while it is easy to disagree with your opponents, it is far harder to disagree with your friends.

“Just yesterday, Senator Feinstein took one of her last votes on the Senate floor while I was presiding — representing her people in her final hours. May the Senate remember her words, may the Country appreciate her voice and may we all continue in ‘our commitment to a just society.’ My thoughts are with her daughter, Katherine Feinstein; her son-in-law, Rick Mariano; and her granddaughter, Eileen Feinstein Mariano. May her memory be a blessing.”

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