Barbara Boxer

Until the day she left the United States Senate in January 2017, Barbara Boxer has been a forceful advocate for families, children, consumers the environment and her state of California.

Boxer served 24 years in the Senate, 10 years in the House, and 6 years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. A national leader on environmental protection, Senator Boxer worked to secure more than 1 million acres of wilderness to protect California's natural heritage.

Her service in the Senate included Chairing the Environment and Public Works Committee where she focused on environment and infrastructure, senior membership on the Foreign Relations Committee where she worked for global women's issues and for the successful use of the soft power of diplomacy. She also served as the top democrat on the Senate Ethics Committee.

A champion of quality public education, Senator Boxer wrote landmark legislation establishing the first-ever federal funding for afterschool programs. Her law now covers over 1 million children.

Senator Boxer has won numerous awards for her efforts to create a cleaner, healthier environment and for her dedicated work to address the threats of climate change. She fought to remove arsenic from drinking water and authored a successful amendment ensuring that drinking water standards protect children. She has led efforts in Congress to protect California's coast from offshore oil drilling and fought to end the unethical use of human subjects in pesticide testing by federal agencies.

In response to the September 11th attacks, Senator Boxer wrote the law requiring that air marshals be on board high-risk flights and the law allowing airline pilots with special training to carry guns in the cockpit.

She worked to fund anti-gang programs, pass the Violence Against Women Law (VAWA), and the Community Policy "COPS" Program. Her bill to prevent the criminal use of personal information obtained through motor vehicle records was signed into law and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

A leading defender of a woman's right to choose, Senator Boxer helped lead the floor fight for passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. In the Senate, she has fought back against repeated attacks on women's health and a woman's right to privacy. A strong proponent of life-saving medical research, Senator Boxer wrote bipartisan legislation to accelerate America's contribution to combat global HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

Senator Boxer has worked to revitalize the economy by supporting targeted tax cuts, a permanent Research and Development tax credit, accelerated depreciation of new business equipment, and tax credits for broadband investments focused on rural and underserved areas Senator Boxer speaks across the country analyzing issues and solutions facing America today, as well as helping candidates running for office who share her values.

An author of several books, her latest one "The Art of Tough," Boxer's message is that every single one of us should be empowered to make life better for our communities through positive change in debate and government.

Senator Boxer has been married to her husband, Stewart Boxer since 1962. The couple moved to California in 1965 to rise their two children. They have been blessed by them, their spouses and four grandchildren.