• Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned to the US Senate on Wednesday.
• It came after nearly 3 months away from Washington due to complications from a shingles infection.
• Several fellow Democrats called for her to resign, arguing her absence imperiled their party's agenda.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is back.

The 89-year-old California Democrat returned this week after spending nearly 3 months away from Washington due to complications from a shingles infection.

In a statement issued through her office, Feinstein said she's "still experiencing some side effects" from the virus and would be working a "lighter schedule." Those side effects include vision and balance impairments, requiring her to use a wheelchair at times.

"I'm hopeful those issues will subside as I continue to recover," she added.

Feinstein, the oldest sitting US senator, announced days before her absence began in February that she would not seek re-election in 2024. Several Democrats are already running to succeed her, including Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.

But her prolonged absence created a deadlock on the Senate Judiciary Committee, preventing Democrats from swiftly advancing nominees to the floor that lacked Republican support.

As concerns over Feinstein's absence grew, the California Democrat agreed to step down from the committee and allow Sen. Ben Cardin — a Maryland Democrat who's also retiring after 2024 — to replace her. But Republicans blocked that effort.

Meanwhile, some House Democrats, including Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called on Feinstein to resign.

"Her refusal to either retire or show up is causing great harm to the judiciary," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on the social network Bluesky recently.

Feinstein arrived at the Capitol just before 3pm on Wednesday and was greeted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

She did not respond to shouted questions from reporters — though she said she was feeling "much better."