If you ever lobby Members of Congress, you notice that a few of them are incredibly quick. Dianne Feinstein was one of them.
In 1993, Senator Feinstein was the floor leader for the federal ban on semiautomatic assault weapons, like the semiauto models of the AR-15 and AK-47. I was a lobbyist for Jim and Sarah Brady’s organization, then called Handgun Control, Inc.
A few hours before this measure was debated on the floor of the Senate, Senator Feinstein and I met in the ceremonial Vice President’s office, just off the Senate floor, in order to prepare her for every conceivable argument.
The legislation, by necessity, was quite technical. Defining a semiautomatic assault weapon is a complicated chore and requires a good deal of knowledge about both guns and the regulatory process. Rifles, handguns and shotguns could be assault weapons, so there were differences in the definitions for each.
Throughout the years-long nationwide discussion about assault weapons, the National Rifle Association had spewed disinformation of all kinds. Of course, they said that Senator Feinstein’s bill would lead to the confiscation of common hunting rifles, that the difference between an assault weapon and a sporting gun was just ornamental, and that the Second Amendment prohibited such a ban. The Senator had to be ready to answer any argument that I’d heard over the prior four years.
Fortunately, she had an amazing memory. And she could not only remember what words to say, she could understand why particular language was important. With a couple of hours of preparation, she became the single best debater anywhere for this legislation.
When we were finished, I went upstairs into the Senate gallery to watch, and Senator Feinstein was amazing. She knew every answer and won every exchange. I had never seen such a performance before and never since.
Not every political leader needs to be as brilliant as Dianne Feinstein was, but when we have enjoyed the benefits of having someone like her, we should appreciate it. God bless you, Senator.