Flags at half-staff for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein

Flag Lowering - 9/29/23 (U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein)

Pursuant to the attached White House notification and 4 USC 7 (m), Governor Inslee hereby directs that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff immediately, in honor and remembrance of United States Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on the day of interment.

Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join this recognition.

Please email FlagRequests@gov.wa.gov if you have any questions about this flag lowering.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (l) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell delivered a speech on the floor of the Senate honoring the legacy of the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

“I want people to know the nation has lost a legislative giant. Women have lost a hero. And the Senate has lost a true colleague,” Sen. Cantwell said.

“For me, as a young member coming here more than 20 years ago, I was amazed and astounded at what I might call the polite pushiness of Dianne Feinstein. I don't know how she did it, but serving on the Judiciary Committee with her … when Dianne’s time ran out and somebody tried to cut in and debate her, Dianne had this way of saying, ‘Mr. Chairman, this is a really important point and I just need to make this point,’ and the chairman would let Dianne go on for another five minutes. And I thought, ‘how does she pull this off?’

"I’ll tell you how she pulled it off: because people knew she was serious about legislating. She was serious about working across the aisle -- and probably in my early days here forged the greatest impression of what working across the aisle was really all about.” 

Video of Sen. Cantwell’s floor speech is available HERE, audio HERE, and a transcript HERE.