Dianne Feinstein to resume Senate duties after long absence due to illness

The 89-year-old's absence had stalled judicial appointments resulting in some party members calling for her resignation

US Senator Dianne Feinstein, 89, will return to Washington on Tuesday after a months-long absence due to illness, her spokesperson said, restoring Democrats' 51-49 majority to full strength.

The 89-year-old California Democrat announced in early March that she had been hospitalized in San Francisco and was being treated for a case of shingles. But an expected return later that month never happened. She last voted in the Senate in February and her absence has spurred calls for her to resign.