Barbara Boxer Biography

Barbara Boxer became a United States Senator in January 1993 after ten years in the House of Representatives and six years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. She is a strong champion for families, children, consumers, the environment, and her home state of California. After four terms in the Senate, she resigned in January 2017. Senator Boxer was the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was a national leader on environmental issues (EPW). Senator Boxer also served on the Senate Select Committee on Ethics as its ranking member. She served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as a senior member and headed the first subcommittee to focus on global women's concerns. Senator Boxer was a member of the Democratic leadership in the Senate from 2005 until 2016, serving as the Chief Deputy Whip. She spearheaded efforts to enact a bipartisan transportation package in 2012 as Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which would save or generate over 3 million jobs nationally. In 2010, she led the charge in the Senate to extend the Highway Trust Fund to help safeguard 1 million transportation jobs throughout the country. She won passage of the Water Resources Development Act, which funded $1.3 billion for 54 flood control, ecosystem restoration, and navigation projects in California. She is a pioneer in efforts to rebuild America's infrastructure. The law had been dormant for six years until she spearheaded the effort to approve it and overturn President George W. Bush's veto. Senator Boxer has received multiple honors for her efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier environment and for her tireless efforts to combat climate change concerns. She battled to get arsenic out of drinking water, and she wrote an amendment to ensure that drinking water standards protect children. She spearheaded efforts in Congress to safeguard California's shoreline from offshore oil drilling and to eliminate the federal government's unethical exploitation of human beings in pesticide research. Senator Boxer, a proponent of high-quality public education, authored groundbreaking legislation that established the first-ever government support for after-school activities. 1.6 million youngsters are now covered under her law. As head of the Senate Afterschool Caucus, she continues to push to expand afterschool programs around the country. Senator Boxer has sponsored laws designating more than 1 million acres of California wilderness to ensure that future generations of Californians will be able to enjoy our natural heritage. She authored the Senate measure that designated Pinnacles National Monument the 59th national park in the United States. She advocated for the establishment of the Fort Ord and Cesar Chavez National Monuments, as well as the expansion of the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. She also spearheaded the Senate attempt to establish the Manzanar National Ancient Site and drafted the California Missions Preservation Act to safeguard and repair California's 21 historic missions. Boxer proposed a provision in the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Commission Law mandating children's items sold over the Internet to include cautionary notices in their ads to safeguard children from harmful toys. She's also been in the forefront of efforts to safeguard children from lead and other harmful pollutants. Senator Boxer is a strong advocate for airline passengers' rights, and her legislation with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to protect passengers from being stuck on planes for hours without food, water, or access to restrooms became the cornerstone of Department of Transportation rules that have reduced tarmac delays across the country. She formed the Senate Military Family Caucus in 2010 to aid families of U.S. servicemen who make such great sacrifices for our country. She pushed to build the West Coast Combat Care Center in San Diego so that badly injured military members in the West might receive the best possible care. She also assisted in the formation of the Defense Task Force on Mental Health, as well as the acquisition of millions of dollars in government money to enhance medical care for badly burnt soldiers. Senator Boxer authored the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Collaboration Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in July 2012, reinforcing our country's special connection with Israel and enhancing economic and security cooperation between the two countries. She is the architect of the Syria Accountability Act, which reinforced sanctions against Syria as a result of the country's terrorism assistance. She also authored a bipartisan bill ensuring that POWs who died in captivity were eligible for the Purple Heart. Senator Boxer authored the bill requiring air marshals on board high-risk aircraft and enabling airline pilots with special training to carry pistols in the cockpit in response to the September 11th attacks. She pushed to fund anti-gang initiatives, enact the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and establish the Community Policy "COPS" Program as a major supporter of the 1994 crime bill. Her bill, which prohibits the illegal use of personal information gathered from motor vehicle data, was passed into law and affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. Senator Boxer, a staunch supporter of a woman's right to choose, led the fight for passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act on the Senate floor. She has fought back against repeated attacks on women's health and the right to privacy in the Senate. Senator Boxer, a staunch supporter of life-saving medical research, authored bipartisan legislation to speed up America's contribution to the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS and TB. She introduced legislation in 2010 to eliminate government bailouts of Wall Street by requiring financial businesses to cover the expenses of liquidating failed Wall Street firms, rather than taxpayers. She also co-wrote legislation to promote community bank lending to small companies. Senator Boxer has supported targeted tax cuts, a permanent Research and Development tax credit, accelerated depreciation of new company equipment, and tax incentives for broadband investments in rural and underserved regions in order to help the economy recover. Senator Boxer introduced a bill requiring homeowners to be notified within 30 days if their lender sells or transfers their home mortgage loan to assist them to avoid foreclosure. She authored a bipartisan bill that prohibits banks from acting as real estate agents in order to avoid conflicts of interest. In addition, the Obama Administration announced additional measures in October 2011 based on the bipartisan Boxer-Isakson Helping Responsible Homeowners Act to assist homeowners who are current on their loans in refinancing at record low rates. Over one million borrowers have benefited from these reforms, as well as others derived from the Menendez-Boxer Responsible Homeowners Refinancing Act, which has saved them hundreds of dollars each year on their mortgages. Senator Barbara Boxer met her husband, Stewart Boxer, at Brooklyn College, where they have been married for almost 50 years. In 1965, the couple relocated to California with their two children, Doug and Nicole. They have four grandkids named Zachary, Zain, Sawyer, and Reyna.

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