Padilla Delivers Remarks at Senator Feinstein Tree Dedication Ceremony
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) hosted a tree dedication ceremony in Washington, D.C. in honor of former California Senator Dianne Feinstein that was attended by members of the Feinstein family, Feinstein’s Senate and House colleagues, and former members of Feinstein’s staff. In addition to Padilla, other speakers included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.-11), Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Thomas Austin, the Architect of the Capitol.
Padilla’s remarks as prepared for delivery are available here:
Once again, it is my honor to lead this effort to celebrate a towering figure not just in modern California political history, but in the history of our nation.
As so many of you can attest to, there was a time when it was impossible to imagine a United States Senate without Dianne Feinstein.
I say that not just as her former staffer, and not just as someone who served alongside her, but as a lifelong Californian.
I first entered public office in the summer of 1999, when I was elected to serve on the Los Angeles City Council.
By that time, she had already been in the Senate for over six years — and that was after her historic and barrier breaking time in San Francisco city politics.
So for me and for so many Californians, when we thought of the model for what it meant to be a leader, we thought of Dianne Feinstein.
She was relentless about the issues she cared about, from:
- Environmental conservation
- To gun safety laws
- To health care reform
- To national security
From her days in San Francisco City Hall to the halls of the U.S. Senate, she set the standard for leading with grace and strength in the face of adversity.
And she committed herself to bipartisan collaboration to get things done for California and for our country.
I don’t think many of my colleagues in Washington fully appreciate just how much Dianne Feinstein singlehandedly shaped the State of California. And I mean that literally, when you look at her legacy on natural resources: from water, to Lake Tahoe and the Redwoods, to the preservation of millions of acres of the California desert.
Now, back home in California, we’ve already begun working to enshrine Senator Feinstein’s legacy for generations to come, from renaming a federal building to a post office to a visitor center in Joshua Tree National Park.
But it’s only right that we also honor her here in Washington — the place where she dedicated so much of her time and effort for her beloved California.
As I mentioned earlier, today’s dedication is fitting for a number of reasons — from her birthday to this location on the Senate side of the Capitol.
But it’s also fitting because of the tree we’ve come to dedicate in her name: the willow oak.
For those who never had the chance to visit during her lifetime, Senator Feinstein’s home away from home here in Washington, D.C. was nicknamed “Willow Oaks.”
As we memorialize her today with her own permanent willow oak on the Capitol grounds, we take comfort in knowing that the life and legacy of Dianne Feinstein will always be remembered at the United States Capitol.
Once again, I want to thank you all for being here, and with that, I’d like to hand it back over to Thomas who will conclude this dedication ceremony.
Following Senator Feinstein’s passing, Senator Padilla and his colleagues unanimously passed a resolution to honor her life and legacy, adjourning the Senate to allow members to travel to her funeral services out of respect. The resolution recognized Senator Feinstein as the longest serving Senator to represent California and the longest serving female Senator in the history of the United States. Padilla’s legislation to name a federal building for Senator Feinstein and dedicate a San Francisco post office in Senator Feinstein’s name became law last year. Padilla also introduced a bill to rename a Joshua Tree Visitor Center after the late Senator, which advanced out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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