Barbara Boxer 

U.S. SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Barbara Boxer 


23049.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2017

S. DOC. 114–19 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Barbara Boxer 

United States Congresswoman 

1983–1993 

United States Senator 

1993–2017 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Biography .................................................................................................. v 

Farewell Address ...................................................................................... ix 

Proceedings in the Senate: 

Tributes by Senators: 

Boozman, John, of Arkansas ..................................................... 31 

Boxer, Barbara, of California ............................................ 7, 13, 14, 15 

Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland ............................................ 8 

Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania ..................................... 8, 30 

Collins, Susan M., of Maine ...................................................... 22 

Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois ................................................... 18 

Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming ................................................... 24 

Feinstein, Dianne, of California ................................................ 20 

Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii ...................................................... 29 

Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma ................................................ 13, 14 

Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia ...................................................... 17 

Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota .................................................. 28 

Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont ................................................... 24 

McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky ................................................. 11, 28 

Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland .......................................... 15, 26 

Peters, Gary C., of Michigan ..................................................... 30 

Portman, Rob, of Ohio ............................................................... 32 

Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island ...................................................... 23 

Reid, Harry, of Nevada .............................................................. 3 

Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan ................................................. 16 

[ v ] 

BIOGRAPHY 

A forceful advocate for families, children, consumers, the 

environment, and her State of California, BARBARA BOXER

became a U.S. Senator in January 1993 after 10 years of 

service in the House of Representatives and 6 years on the 

Marin County Board of Supervisors. In November 2010, she 

was reelected to her fourth term in the Senate. 

A national leader on environmental protection, Senator 

BOXER was the ranking member on the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). 

Senator BOXER was also the ranking member of the Senate 

Select Committee on Ethics. She was a senior member of the 

Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she chaired the 

first subcommittee ever to focus on global women’s issues. 

Senator BOXER was also a member of the Democratic leadership in the Senate, serving as the chief deputy whip since 

2005. 

In 2012, as chairman of the Environment and Public 

Works Committee, she led efforts to pass a bipartisan transportation bill that would save or create nearly 3 million jobs 

nationwide. In 2010, she spearheaded the effort in the Senate to extend the highway trust fund to help protect 1 million jobs in transportation nationwide. 

A leader in efforts to improve America’s infrastructure, she 

secured passage of the Water Resources Development Act, 

which authorized $1.3 billion for 54 flood control, ecosystem 

restoration, and navigation projects in California. The bill 

had languished for 6 years until she led the fight to pass it 

and override a veto by President George W. Bush. 

Senator BOXER 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 

an amendment ensuring that drinking water standards protect children. She 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. 

[ vi ] 

A champion of quality public education, Senator BOXER

wrote landmark legislation establishing the first-ever Federal funding for afterschool programs. Her law covers 1.6 

million children. She continued to work to expand afterschool 

programs nationwide as chair of the Senate Afterschool Caucus. 

To ensure that future generations of Californians will be 

able to enjoy our natural heritage, Senator BOXER wrote 

laws designating more than 1 million acres of California wilderness. She wrote the Senate bill that elevated Pinnacles 

National Monument into America’s 59th national park. She 

helped champion the creation of the Fort Ord National 

Monument and Cesar Chavez National Monument, as well 

as efforts to expand the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell 

Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. She also authored the 

California Missions Preservation Act to protect and restore 

California’s 21 historic missions, and led the effort in the 

Senate to create the Manzanar National Historic Site. 

To protect children from dangerous toys, BARBARA BOXER

authored a provision in the 2008 consumer product safety 

commission law requiring children’s products sold over the 

Internet to list cautionary warnings in their advertisements. 

She also led efforts to protect children from lead and other 

dangerous chemicals. 

Senator BOXER was a champion of 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 centerpiece of Department of Transportation rules that 

have reduced tarmac delays nationwide. 

In 2010, she founded the Senate Military Family Caucus 

to help address the challenges faced by families of U.S. 

servicemembers who sacrifice so much for our country. She 

worked to establish the West Coast Combat Care Center in 

San Diego to ensure that severely wounded servicemembers 

in the West have access to the highest quality care. She also 

helped create the Defense Task Force on Mental Health and 

secured millions in Federal funding to improve medical care 

for severely burned soldiers. 

Senator BOXER wrote the United States-Israel Enhanced 

Security Cooperation Act, which President Obama signed 

into law in July 2012, reaffirming our country’s special relationship with Israel and strengthening economic and security 

cooperation between the two nations. 

[ vii ] 

She was the author of the Syria Accountability Act, which 

strengthened sanctions against Syria over the country’s support for terrorism. She also wrote a bipartisan measure to 

ensure that POWs who died in captivity would be eligible to 

receive the Purple Heart. 

In response to the September 11 attacks, Senator BOXER

wrote the law requiring that air marshals be on board highrisk flights and the law allowing airline pilots with special 

training to carry guns in the cockpit. 

A strong supporter of the 1994 crime bill, she worked to 

fund antigang programs, pass the Violence Against Women 

Act (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 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. 

In 2010, she wrote a measure to end taxpayer bailouts of 

Wall Street by ensuring that financial firms—not taxpayers—will pay all the costs of liquidating failing Wall 

Street firms. She also cowrote legislation to increase lending 

to small businesses through community banks. 

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. 

To help homeowners defend against foreclosure, Senator 

BOXER wrote a measure requiring that homeowners be alerted within 30 days if their lender sells or transfers their home 

mortgage loan. She wrote a bipartisan measure to ensure 

that banks cannot act as real estate brokers to prevent conflicts of interest. Additionally, in October 2011, the Obama 

administration announced new efforts based on the bipartisan Boxer-Isakson Helping Responsible Homeowners Act to 

help homeowners who are current on their loans to refinance 

at historically low rates. These changes, along with others 

taken from the Menendez-Boxer Responsible Homeowners 

[ viii ] 

Refinancing Act, have helped over 1 million borrowers save 

thousands of dollars a year on their mortgages. 

Senator BARBARA BOXER met her husband of over 50 

years, Stewart Boxer, at Brooklyn College. The couple moved 

to California in 1965 to raise their two children, Doug and 

Nicole. They have been blessed with four grandchildren— 

Zachary, Zain, Sawyer, and Reyna. 

[ ix ] 

Farewell to the Senate 

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 

Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, this is a moment for me 

that, I think it is fair to say, I will never ever forget. 

I am so honored. I am so honored to have members of my 

family here, staff from past and present from both my personal office and committee, extraordinary colleagues whom I 

adore and love, whom I worked with, fought with, and debated. I am so honored that Senator McConnell and Senator 

Reid have said really nice things about me. I think, in Senator Reid’s case, we go back so long, and I will talk a little 

bit more about that. In Senator McConnell’s case, we didn’t 

talk for a long time, and then we did get together and we 

did some great work together. But I think he was here just 

to make sure I am leaving. My leader over in the House is 

here—Nancy Pelosi. I will talk about her more. My colleagues from the House came over in the midst of all their 

work. I love them. I have enjoyed working with them. 

I look around this Chamber, and I realize the reason I am 

able to actually leave is because I know each of you and your 

passion to make life better for people, and that is what it is 

all about. 

When I decided not to run for reelection, you know how 

the press always follows you around. They said: ‘‘Is this bittersweet for you?’’ 

My answer was forthcoming: ‘‘No way is it bitter. In every 

way it is sweet.’’ 

Why do I feel that way? It is because this has been a 

dream, to be in a profession that I think is noble, no matter 

how beaten up it gets, for 40 years—for more than half my 

life—and I was able to do every day what I always wanted 

to do, which is simply to make life better for people. I didn’t 

always succeed. Were there frustrations? Yes. Were there 

disappointments? Yes. Were there defeats? Yes, many, but 

every morning when I woke up, I knew I had a chance to do 

something good. 

As a first generation American on my mother’s side, and, 

most particularly, as a woman, I never in my wildest dreams 

[ x ] 

imagined that I could be in the U.S. Senate. It was an uphill 

battle, and I know I speak for a lot of people sitting right 

here who know what I am talking about. 

When I first ran for the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 1972, it was a Republican landslide year. It was 

more than tough. I will never forget one woman I spoke with 

after knocking on her door. I introduced myself and said, 

‘‘Hi, I am BARBARA BOXER. I am running for county supervisor.’’ 

She greeted me by saying, ‘‘I never thought you would be 

so short.’’ Then, she said she wasn’t supporting me because, 

‘‘You have four kids, and you are going to neglect them if you 

are elected.’’ 

Well, never mind that this was a part-time job just a few 

minutes from the house. Never mind that the man I was 

running against had a family and a full-time job. Never 

mind that I actually had two kids, but she insisted. She said, 

‘‘I know you have four kids because I read it in the newspaper.’’ 

I said, ‘‘Lady, when you give birth, you never forget it, and 

I did it twice.’’ 

Well, I lost that seat, but two things helped get me 

through it. The first was an article by Gloria Steinem, who 

essentially said women tend to take losses too personally. We 

have to understand that we could be just a little bit ahead 

of our time, and we can’t give up. 

Second, my son Doug, only seven at the time, ignored any 

attempts to cheer me up by saying, ‘‘Mom, can you make me 

a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch?’’ 

The point is that life goes on no matter how deep the disappointments. You pick yourself up, and you keep fighting 

because this is your country. It is our country, and it is 

worth fighting for. I ran again 4 years later and won. I was 

eager to get to work on issues such as: afterschool for kids; 

protecting the natural beauty of my county; and ensuring 

that a child walking to school would be safe. I put up so 

many stop signs to protect kids that I soon became known 

as the ‘‘Stop Sign Queen.’’ 

It was local government, and the world was changing. The 

Vietnam war was raging. The women’s movement was 

ramping up. The oil companies wanted to drill off the pristine coast of California. Even from my position as a local 

county supervisor representing only 40,000 people, I was exposed to these national issues that would soon require all of 

my attention. 

[ xi ] 

Tip O’Neill, one of Nancy Pelosi’s great predecessors, was 

known for his saying that ‘‘All politics is local,’’ but the global became local when Marin County got a Federal grant saying the threat of nuclear attack is real, and you have to have 

a plan to evacuate the county in case there is a bomb 

dropped in San Francisco. This was in the 1980s. 

The Reagan administration, I think, missed the obvious. 

Getting in a car on a narrow road to evacuate to Napa or 

going under your desk was not going to protect you, so all 

five supervisors—three Republicans and two Democrats—rejected the grant. Instead, we mailed an informational booklet 

to every household, telling them there was no way to evacuate from a nuclear bomb; you have to prevent it in the first 

place. 

During that same period, James Watt wanted to drill off 

the coast of California. We put together business people, environmentalists, farmers, and we said no. The tourist industry joined us, and we stopped it. 

That was my first attempt at very broad coalition building. 

As national issues unfolded before my eyes, I had to do more 

if I really wanted to stay true to making life better for people. 

When John Burton’s seat for Congress opened up in 1982, 

I jumped in. It was a long shot. I will always be grateful to 

the people who brought me to that dance: working people, 

environmentalists, children’s advocates. They put me over 

the top. 

After I won that election, I began hearing about the mysterious disease that was stealing the lives of so many in my 

congressional district. I remember feeling so helpless because 

we didn’t know what it was and what caused it. One thing 

was clear: AIDS was devastating, and too many in Washington were not taking action. 

When we found out it could be transmitted sexually, I had 

to go up against the far rightwing who didn’t want to provide 

any information about the disease. Yet here I was, a middleaged mother of two from the suburbs, talking about condoms. 

It was uncomfortable, but this would become my way. In the 

face of a crisis, never look away, never back down, and never 

be afraid. 

In the case of AIDS, I got to work with the chairman of 

the House Appropriations Committee, a Southern gentleman. 

He had never heard of AIDS. He said to me: ‘‘If people are 

sick, then we must help.’’ We got the first double-digit Federal AIDS funding, and we established an AIDS Task Force 

[ xii ] 

and brought in people such as Elizabeth Taylor and Elizabeth Glaser, and we fought back. We took it under our wing 

to solve this crisis—both adult AIDS and pediatric AIDS. 

By that time, I had an extraordinary new partner in the 

House, Nancy Pelosi. We immediately bonded. I was so impressed with her passion and her energy. We remain the 

dearest of friends to this day. I am so proud of her. Nancy 

has changed the face of politics in America, and she will go 

down in history as one of the most influential leaders of our 

time. 

Recently—on a recent issue—I was expressing deep disappointment, and Nancy told me: ‘‘Don’t agonize. Organize!’’ 

This was 2 nights ago. She is right. When things get tough, 

that is what you do. 

Over the years, the issues kept coming my way and came 

the way of a lot of people in this room: the Violence Against 

Women Act, LGBT equality, protecting a woman’s right to 

choose, workers’ rights, protecting the Clean Air Act and the 

Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Those 

are all examples. These fights continue, and they keep coming whether you are in elected office or not. They come to 

you if you are a single parent trying to raise a child and 

struggling to make ends meet on a minimum wage that is 

not fair. They come to you if your kid gets asthma. They 

come to you if your job has been outsourced and you have 

nowhere to turn. They come to you when college tuition gets 

out of reach. 

Whether it is happening to you or someone else, the great 

thing about our participatory democracy is each of us has a 

chance to make a difference. You can make a difference by 

holding an elected office or working for someone who does. 

You can make a difference by working for a campaign. You 

can make a difference by starting a business and employing 

good people to help you build it. You can make a difference 

by becoming a teacher, a nurse, a firefighter, or a police officer. 

There are so many noble ways to make a difference in 

America. The one thing you cannot do, even when it is 

tempting: You cannot turn away—never. The forces and the 

people who shape you cannot be ignored. I say to everybody 

within the sound of my voice that you have it within you to 

step out and make your mark. 

A lot of young people come up to me and say, ‘‘I would love 

to do what you do. How do I become a U.S. Senator?’’ 

I am sure a lot of us get that question. 

[ xiii ] 

I always say, ‘‘It is not important to be something; it is important to do something.’’ 

If you choose my path and the path of many in this room, 

I want to be clear: You will need mentors and you will need 

friends like two of mine—John Burton and Barbara Mikulski. John encouraged me to run for the House, where he had 

always been a fighter for those without a voice. 

Barbara had been my friend in the House and encouraged 

me to run for the Senate. When I went to see her, she said, 

very simply, ‘‘Go for it.’’ That and $40 million—that was good 

advice. I did. Senator Mikulski is everything a Senator 

should be. She is intelligent, caring, always focused, and as 

an added bonus, she can have you in stitches. I am so grateful for her guidance and, most important, her friendship. 

I launched my campaign for the Senate. It was very difficult. No one predicted I would win. I was less than an asterisk in the polls. I was filled with doubt. Coming to my aid 

was my senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein. She stood by my 

side, even though it could have cost her votes. I will never, 

ever forget that. Thank you, Dianne. 

I also need to pay tribute to Anita Hill because without 

her, I never would have been elected to the Senate. Anita 

Hill courageously told her story to the all-male U.S. Senate 

Judiciary Committee, breaking the silence on this painful 

issue. In addition, people saw there were only two women in 

the Senate. 

Anita Hill, you showed us all that we must never be afraid 

to take on the powerful. It certainly isn’t easy, but if you 

learn to be tough in the right way, you can find the sweet 

spot, even in this atmosphere where the parties have grown 

so far apart. This is one of my biggest regrets—how far the 

parties have grown apart, especially when it comes to the environment. 

Remember, Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. He signed the Clean Air Act, the Clean 

Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. George H.W. 

Bush signed the extension of the Clean Air Act. Many Republicans led the charge for environmental protection. Now, 

unfortunately, protecting the environment has become a divide where we truly duke it out. 

As I leave here, I intend to do everything in my power to 

work to bridge that divide because we all live on one planet. 

It doesn’t matter what party we are. We all breathe the 

same air. We all want our families to be healthy and live on 

a planet that can sustain us and all of God’s creations. In 

[ xiv ] 

this time of deep division, we have to find areas to work together. 

I think I found a proven formula in my relationship with 

my friend and chairman of the Environment and Public 

Works Committee, Senator Jim Inhofe. We never surprise 

each other, even where we disagree—ever. Our word is our 

bond to each other. We found that we could work as a winning team to build and strengthen our Nation’s infrastructure, and we have made incredible progress for the American 

people on those issues—long-term highway bills, long-term 

water bills and the first update on the Toxic Control Act. 

That was a doozy for us. I will never forget that battle. 

Transportation turned out to be a sweet spot between Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and me. We hadn’t talked seriously for 20 years because of the Packwood case. It was: 

Hello, hello. That was it. But we did come together to save 

the highway trust fund at an urgent time. 

Our work together surprised so many of our colleagues, 

but I think it surprised the two of us more than anything 

else. It worked because we set aside all of our past legitimate 

divisions in order to rescue America’s transportation system. 

We took a risk, and the risk paid off. Of course, all of my 

colleagues helped make that possible. 

Also, I want to mention my Republican counterpart on the 

Ethics Committee, Senator Johnny Isakson, because when it 

comes to ethics, we have proven there is no room for partisanship. All we want to do is make sure the Senate is a respected institution. Friendship and trust with Members on 

both sides and in the House of Representatives—I am so 

proud so many of you are here—that is the only way to get 

things done. 

Having a leader who has your back is essential. A good 

leader knows and understands each member of his caucus 

and where they draw the line. Harry is so humble. Whenever 

you talk about him, he puts his head down. 

Harry, could you just look at me for a second? 

A good leader knows when to speak up and when to listen. 

A good leader knows when to pick up the gloves and fight 

like hell. That is what Harry Reid has done. He is not a 

show horse; he is a workhorse. 

He is a soft-spoken man. How many of us have to say, 

‘‘Harry, could you speak up?’’ He is a soft-spoken man of a 

few words, but he chooses his words wisely, and he chooses 

his fights wisely. He doesn’t seek the spotlight. When it 

[ xv ] 

comes to standing up for what is right, he is right there 

when others try to slip out of the room. 

Harry has not only been an extraordinary leader and colleague, he and his wife, Landra, have been close and treasured friends of me and my husband, Stewart. I call him the 

brother I never had, and he calls me the sister he never had. 

He treats me like a sister; he always hangs up on me when 

I call him. He never calls on me when I madly wave my 

hand at caucus. You know, I am like a sister. You don’t have 

to worry, the love will be there. I am forever grateful for his 

leadership and his friendship. 

Another quality of Harry Reid is that he encouraged 

women to run for the Senate. Once we got here, he made 

sure we had major responsibilities. Harry, you will go down 

in history for that. 

I am, of course, ecstatic that my successor is Kamala Harris, who served as attorney general for my State with great 

distinction and who will continue the tradition of having a 

strong, progressive woman in this seat. 

Kamala, you heard it here—a strong, progressive woman 

in this seat is what we need. 

As I wind down my remarks, I must be completely honest 

about my broken heart. I worked hard, along with so many 

millions of Americans, so that we would have our first female President. It was not to be this time, but we made history with Hillary Clinton, the first female nominee of a 

major party, who, I might add, won the popular vote by millions and still counting. She truly shattered the glass ceiling 

and showed that women had the ability to take it on the chin 

again and again. 

My message to everyone who supported Hillary is, the 

work goes on. Yes, you build on success and you learn from 

failure, but you never stop working for human rights, civil 

rights, women’s rights, voting rights, children’s rights, and 

the environment. I certainly don’t plan to stop. 

I am not only fortunate to have had this extraordinary career, but I am also so fortunate to be going home to a State 

that stands for everything I believe in. 

I wish to thank every one of my staffers—those who 

worked for me in Washington, either on my personal staff, 

committee staff, those who worked for me in the State, and 

those who helped me get elected. A lot of them are here 

today. Without them, I never ever could have done my job, 

and I never could have accomplished the things I have accomplished that I am proud of. 

[ xvi ] 

I also wish to thank the floor staff. The floor staff never 

gets thanked enough because they deal with us when we are 

very nervous. They have to deal with us when we are about 

to have an amendment come up or about to vote on something and need to understand the rules and our rights. 

To Gary and his team, Trish, Tim, and all of you—thank 

you. 

When I look back on everything I fought for, there are 

more than a thousand accomplishments, and I am certainly 

not going to talk about all of those, but I am going to, briefly, 

very fast, go through 10 of my favorites. The first afterschool 

programs that were funded by the Federal Government, covering more than 1.6 million kids every day; 1 million acres 

of California wilderness preserved; the first-ever comprehensive combat casualty care center in California for our most 

wounded warriors; ensuring that our transportation programs remain in place for years to come with millions of jobs 

protected; upholding our landmark environmental laws, and 

I hope that continues, but I will not go off on that; setting 

clean drinking water standards to protect pregnant women, 

children, and other vulnerable people; the dolphin-safe tuna 

label; protecting victims of rape in the military from irrelevant, harassing questions that have already been barred in 

civilian courts; establishing the first-ever subcommittee to 

oversee global women’s issues, which Jeanne is going to 

carry on; and recommending a diverse group of supremely 

qualified judicial nominees who are carrying out our laws in 

California’s Federal courts. There are many more I could 

talk about, and we all know this because each one of them 

is like a child to us and we remember how hard it was to 

get it done, but let me be clear, you don’t get anything done 

here unless your colleagues help you from both sides of the 

aisle. 

My biggest regret is that I couldn’t end the war in Iraq. 

It hurt my soul. I came down to the floor every day and read 

the names of fallen soldiers. I was accused of being too emotional. I asked probing questions in committee to expose the 

fact that we were in the middle of a civil war. Day after day 

I made my case, but the war went on. It took President 

Obama to finally end that war, and I will always be grateful 

to him. 

Of course, there is unfinished business, and I know my colleagues are going to carry on. We must restore the Voting 

Rights Act. We need to restore trust between our communities and law enforcement. We have to continue to protect 

[ xvii ] 

and provide affordable health care. We must take action on 

climate change or we are in deep trouble as humankind. We 

must protect the DREAMers and immigrants who contribute 

to our communities every day. We must raise the minimum 

wage and ensure equal pay for equal work. We must protect 

reproductive freedom and work across party lines for a safe 

world. 

I have often joked about some of the things that have been 

said to me over the years that are too colorful, in a negative 

way, to repeat here, but I want everyone to know, whether 

friend or foe, whether critic or admirer, I do appreciate the 

fact that you let me know how you felt about my work one 

way or the other. 

To close, I will read a handwritten letter I received in October from one of the greatest jazz musicians in our country, 

Sonny Rollins, into the Record. He was recently honored at 

the Kennedy Center. He wrote in longhand the following: 

Greetings—so so sorry that we are not going to have you for us anymore. 

I’ve always been interested in politics, marching as a 6 year old with my 

activist grandmother for civil rights. It has been such a joy and inspiration 

knowing that BARBARA BOXER was there for us. 

God bless you, your family, and loved ones—And thank you. 

You will be missed and we all love you. 

Have a beautiful life, just like you have made life beautiful for so many 

citizens. 

I wish to thank Sonny Rollins. I don’t know him personally. I met him once, but what he said is all I wanted to do— 

make life beautiful for people. I didn’t always succeed. I 

didn’t always prevail. I felt the pain of losing many times, 

but I can honestly say I never stopped trying. I was able to 

do it because of the love, understanding, and support of my 

husband of 55 years, Stewart, who is here today. He gave me 

so much, including the best political name ever. I did it because of my son Doug, my daughter Nicole, my daughter-inlaw Amy, my son-in-law Kevin, and four incredible grandchildren, Zach, Zain, Sawyer, and Reyna, and because of the 

people of California who sent me here time and time again— 

10 years in the House and 24 years in the Senate. I had the 

opportunity to never stop trying. I had the opportunity to 

speak out, and no matter how many times I had to try, I did. 

Here is the thing. I have this platform, which is an extraordinary honor. This is a sacred position, and I say to my colleagues that no matter who says what about it, it is a sacred 

position. Hold your head high. 

So many here have fought the good fight and will continue 

to fight the good fight, and I will always treasure my time 

[ xviii ] 

serving the people. They gave me a purpose in my life that 

I will always cherish. They made me a better person. They 

made my life more beautiful than I ever could have imagined, and for that I am forever grateful. 

I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor. 

(Applause, Senators rising.) 

TRIBUTES 

TO 

BARBARA BOXER 

[ 3 ] 

Proceedings in the Senate 

WEDNESDAY, November 30, 2016 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have served in Congress now 

for 34 years. Throughout that time, I have tried to be pleasant and helpful to my colleagues. I feel very fortunate to 

have become personally close and friends with Members of 

Congress from all over this great country. BARBARA BOXER

and I were members of the House class of 1982. Such fond 

memories do I have of that class—Tom Carper, Dick Durbin, 

and scores of others. We had a huge class. 

At first glance, BARBARA BOXER and Harry Reid had very 

little in common. She was from California. It is a heavily 

populated and liberal State. I was from Nevada, a much 

smaller State in area and in population. I was the only Democrat in my State’s congressional delegation. I was stunned 

when I was asked to join this huge California congressional 

delegation. Being from Nevada and being part of the largest 

congressional delegation in America was extremely helpful to 

me. 

The Californians were good to me in so many different 

ways, just allowing me to be part of their meetings every 

Wednesday morning. I was flattered when I was asked to be 

secretary-treasurer of that large delegation. I have so many 

memories of the work we did together, California and Nevada. 

Howard Berman, who was the leader of that freshman 

class from California, was the head of the steering committee. Don Edwards was the chairman of the delegation at 

those meetings we had every morning. The Burton brothers 

and just so many others went out of their way to help me. 

I came to know quickly that BARBARA BOXER was no ordinary public servant. She was relentless—I mean relentless— 

and dedicated and very principled. She was raised by hardworking, first-generation immigrants in Brooklyn, NY. She 

attended Brooklyn College, graduated with a degree in economics. Over the decades, we have gotten to know each othVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:24 Apr 24, 2017 Jkt 098900 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE16\23049.TXT KAYNE
[ 4 ] 

er’s families very well. We talk about each other’s children. 

We have exchanged family experiences many times. 

My favorite story of BARBARA BOXER’s family is the time 

when she was a girl coming home from elementary school, 

with her mom, from a window that was up high, yelling 

down to her little daughter coming home from school— 

excitedly yelling out the window of the upstairs apartment, 

‘‘Daddy passed the bar. Daddy passed the bar.’’ 

BARBARA knew that her dad did not go to bars. But she 

quickly learned from her excited mother that she was talking 

about her dad having passed the very difficult New York bar 

examination. I always remember that story. 

In 1965, BARBARA moved to northern California from faraway New York. In California, they sat down their roots and 

raised their two children, Doug and Nicole. Stew became a 

very prominent lawyer and BARBARA, a stockbroker. 

It was in California where BARBARA began to make her 

mark very quickly as a trailblazer. In 1976, after having 

been in California not very long, in that very big county, part 

of the metropolitan area of San Francisco, she became a 

member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. She was 

elected to that post. She quickly became the board’s first 

woman president. 

Shortly thereafter in 1982, BARBARA ran successfully for 

Congress. Her campaign slogan tells us all you need to know 

about her because that year her slogan was: ‘‘BARBARA

BOXER Gives a Damn.’’ That was on all of her campaign literature, posters, everything. So I guess with a slogan like 

that, it should not be any surprise that she won handily. 

In 1992, she was elected to the Senate. She stood no 

chance to win. Everybody told her that—all of the editorials, 

not only of the California papers but all over the country. 

BARBARA BOXER was in with the big time, and things were 

going to change for this upstart Member of the House of Representatives. She had tried to move too quickly. She should 

have stayed in the House, but she won by a really nice margin. This surprised everybody except her. 

In 1992, she was elected to the Senate—the year that was 

popularly referred to as the ‘‘Year of the Woman,’’ and rightfully so. She was part of the memorable class that came here 

in 1982: Dianne Feinstein, Patty Murray, Carol Moseley 

Braun, and, of course, the underdog, BARBARA BOXER. 

In the Senate, BARBARA and I have worked together on 

matters of importance to Nevada, California, and our Nation. 

I have watched BARBARA BOXER lead on so many important 

[ 5 ] 

issues. I am going to name only a handful of them. She 

worked to designate more than 1 million acres in California 

as a wilderness, keeping that land in a pristine condition for 

our children, our grandchildren, and generations to come. I 

say ‘‘our’’ because the wilderness in California or in Nevada 

does not belong to California or Nevada, it belongs to the 

people of this country. She fought for the Pinnacles National 

Monument to become America’s 59th national park. It became such. 

She helped lead the fight to stop drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and, of course, along the California 

shoreline. She has spoken about that so many times. It succeeded. We have had no oilspills on the coast of California 

because of a number of reasons, but there is no one more responsible for that nondegradation than BARBARA BOXER. 

She advocated to eliminate government military waste as 

a Member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

It was her first breakthrough where she exposed the outrageous, exorbitant cost of purchases made by the military. 

She did that while she was in the House. Why was she taking on the establishment? Well, that is who she is; that is 

who she was. 

She discovered that our military paid defense contractors 

unbelievable amounts of money: for a hammer—a claw hammer—$430; for a toilet seat, $640; for a coffeemaker, $7,622. 

That is quite a coffeemaker. For an aluminum ladder, which 

must have been one that would get you over the fence that 

Trump is going to build between Mexico and the United 

States, it cost $74,165. 

It is legendary what she has done with the military. Ever 

since she did that, the military was no longer untouchable. 

BARBARA BOXER proved that. She put an end to all of the 

wasteful spending. Yes, she did—BARBARA BOXER—not all of 

it; some things slipped through the cracks, but she sure 

headed everyone in the right direction. 

Maybe of lesser importance, but something we all watched 

very carefully in the House—it did not happen overnight, but 

she caused the all-male House gym to admit female Members of Congress. She went up against some big people to do 

that—the very well-known Dan Rostenkowski, the chairman 

of the Ways and Means Committee, and others—but she 

won. 

BARBARA and I have worked together to protect Lake 

Tahoe. We share that. The States of California and Nevada 

share that alpine glacial lake. There is only one other lake 

[ 6 ] 

like it in the world, and that is in Siberia, Lake Baikal. We 

feel good about what we have been able to do to promote the 

richness of this beautiful national treasure, Lake Tahoe. 

She has also promoted clean energy. I can remember her 

going after a substance that was in gasoline to put in a car 

that ruined the environment. She came out strongly against 

that. Again, she prevailed. We no longer do that. She has 

also done a lot to protect our public lands. 

I mentioned just a little bit of what she has done. I can 

say without any hesitation that BARBARA BOXER has been 

one of the best and most effective environmental leaders in 

the history of this country. That says a lot. She has made 

California and the entire country a cleaner, healthier, and a 

better place, especially as chair and ranking member of the 

Committee on Environment and Public Works. I loved that 

committee. It was a committee I was placed on when I first 

came to the Senate. I had the good fortune to be chairman 

of that committee twice. 

She has done so much in her advocacy. For a lot of the 

things she was not able to declare a legislative victory, but 

she certainly declared a victory in the minds of the American 

people because she took on the big guys without any fear. 

BARBARA is also a champion of women. She has been a 

groundbreaker on issues like sexual harassment and women’s rights in the workplace, access to women’s health, and 

clinic violence. She took that on. BARBARA BOXER has worked 

to protect women’s access to health care and make sure that 

Planned Parenthood continues to help millions of women 

who depend on their services every year. 

I lament the fact that BARBARA will not be here because, 

as you know, the new Republican majority has threatened to 

do away with Planned Parenthood. I don’t know what they 

expect to do with the 2 million women who go there every 

year for help, but that is what they have said they are going 

to do. 

I can remember, oh so clearly, because it was such a difficult time, working on the Affordable Care Act in my office 

just a short distance from here. BARBARA was there the better part of 2 days. We were facing incredibly contentious 

issues regarding women’s health, and this required close attention. But it worked out. We were able to accomplish this 

in spite of some people who said we couldn’t do that. 

BARBARA has always been ideological, pure but with a 

sound mix of pragmatism on Obamacare and other issues relating to women. I told her personally—and I said it publicly, 

[ 7 ] 

but I wish to say it again—that I have enjoyed working with 

her. She has helped and mentored me and led me to understand issues important to the women of America like no one 

else, and I appreciate it very much. 

I can remember writing her a letter in my longhand, my 

cursive. In that letter I told her a number of things, but this 

is something I said—a direct quote: ‘‘BARBARA, I have three 

brothers. I’ve never had a sister. You are the sister I’ve 

never had.’’ 

That was what I said. To this day, we still refer to each 

other as brother and sister. 

Stew and BARBARA are an exemplary team. They are partners in every sense of the word. Landra and I have been 

guests in their southern California home. We have been together many times in Nevada. 

For decades, BARBARA and I have worked together politically, campaigning in different parts of the country, different 

parts of California, and different parts of Nevada. We have 

raised money together for the cause of Democrats. We have 

raised money for each other. It has always been a pleasure 

to work with her on this and other issues. 

BARBARA and I came to Washington together in 1982, 34 

years ago. BARBARA and I will be leaving Washington together after 34 memorable years together. 

Senator BARBARA BOXER, congratulations on your historic 

career as a Senator for 40 million Californians and 300 million citizens of the United States. 

BARBARA, remember, you are and always will be my sister. 

Godspeed, BARBARA. 

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 

California. 

Mrs. BOXER. Senator REID, my leader, I can’t tell you how 

humble I feel to hear you talk about my career and to put 

it, in many ways, in a historic place. 

I am going to have a lot to say about your career, what you 

have meant to me. Today I won’t get into it, but you are a 

man—you just don’t throw words around. I know how humble you are because every time I try to praise you, even in 

a situation with just a few people around you, you look down 

like you are doing now. It makes you uncomfortable. I don’t 

want to make you uncomfortable. So here is what I am going 

to say today. I am going to make you uncomfortable in the 

near future when I talk about your career and what it has 

meant to me. But today, hearing you talk about what you 

[ 8 ] 

just said, weaving our friendship, our work together, and our 

family friendship has meant a lot to me. 

Obviously, I am going to miss you, but I will say this. As 

we enter into uncharted territories in terms of politics, I 

know you and I are not going to lose our voices. We will have 

a platform. We are not leaving because we are tired of the 

fight. We are not leaving because we have nothing more to 

say, we are leaving because we think it is time for the next 

generation. I look forward to working with you in the future—and I mean that sincerely—just fighting for the things 

we care about, whether it is Lake Tahoe or whether it is 

clean air, whether it is fighting against the ravages of climate change, whether it is fighting for the right of the American people, from children to seniors, to have affordable 

health care. We are not going into the wilderness. That I was 

able to protect more than a million acres—I am so proud you 

mentioned that. 

Today you have humbled me with your words. I will always be your sister. Thank you very much. 

I yield the floor. 

TUESDAY, December 6, 2016 

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, in the interest of time, I will 

limit my remarks. 

I rise this afternoon to commend and salute three Senators 

from the Democratic caucus who are leaving the Senate this 

year. I will have longer written statements for the Record to 

appropriately pay tribute to their service. In alphabetical 

order, Senator BOXER of California, Senator Mikulski of 

Maryland, and Senator Reid of Nevada. 

I will offer some specific remarks about Leader Reid, in 

the interest of time, but I do want to commend and salute 

Senator BOXER for her service to the people of California and 

to our Nation, as well Senator Mikulski for her great work— 

two great advocates, two individuals whom we are going to 

miss terribly here in the Senate. As I said, I will put longer 

statements in the Record. . . . 

Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, for the 10 years I have 

been in the Senate, I have been privileged and have had the 

pleasure to serve alongside the Senator from California, BARBARA BOXER, on the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works and on the Committee on Foreign Relations. She is 

[ 9 ] 

the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works 

Committee and previously chaired the committee, the first 

woman to do so. 

Senator BOXER has spent the last 40 years in elective office—24 years here in the Senate, 10 years before in the U.S. 

House of Representatives, and 6 years on the Marin County 

Board of Supervisors. She was the board’s first woman president. Earlier, she worked as a stockbroker while her husband Stewart, whom she met at Brooklyn College, attended 

law school. Senator BOXER has been a journalist and is the 

author of two books. 

The first time Senator BOXER ran for the Sixth Congressional District seat, in 1982, her campaign slogan was 

‘‘BARBARA BOXER Gives a Damn.’’ Her constituents have 

agreed. She ran for reelection four times and never received 

less than 67 percent of the vote. In 2004, when she was running for a third term in the Senate, she received 6.96 million 

votes—the most votes any candidate has ever received in the 

history of the U.S. Senate. 

Oscar Madison and Felix Unger may have been the original odd couple, but Senator BOXER and the Senator from 

Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe, have been the Senate’s odd couple. An unabashed liberal and unabashed conservative working together to pass some of the most important legislation 

of the last quarter century—our periodic surface transportation bills and the Water Resources Development Act reauthorizations. These bills have put millions of Americans to 

work and made our economy more efficient. 

Senator BOXER understands the importance of building, 

and she also understands the importance of preserving. She 

has helped to set aside more than 1 million acres of Federal 

land in California as wilderness. The omnibus public lands 

package, which became law in 2009, includes three Boxer 

bills to protect 57,000 acres in Big Sur and the Los Padres 

Forest and another 273,000 acres of California coast as wilderness. She wrote the Senate bill that elevated Pinnacles 

National Monument into America’s 59th national park. She 

helped champion the creation of the Fort Ord National 

Monument and Cesar Chavez National Monument and was 

instrumental in expanding the Gulf of the Farallones and 

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. She also authored the California Missions Preservation Act to protect 

and restore California’s 21 historic missions and led the effort in the Senate to create the Manzanar National Historic 

Site. 

[ 10 ] 

Senator BOXER’s concern for the environment hasn’t been 

just a parochial interest; no one has fought harder to defend 

and improve our Nation’s landmark environmental laws, 

such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. She 

fought to remove arsenic from drinking water. The air we 

breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat are better 

because of Senator BOXER. 

Senator BOXER’s environmental bona fides are well known, 

but she has been a superbly effective legislator on so many 

other issues. She is a champion for women. In 1991, she led 

a group of women Members to the Judiciary Committee to 

demand that the committee, which was all-male and allWhite at the time, take Anita Hill’s charges seriously. Senator BOXER has defended women’s reproductive health 

choices and privacy. She was involved in passing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and the Violence 

Against Women Act. She is a senior member of the Foreign 

Relations Committee, where she chairs the first committee to 

focus on global women’s issues. 

In a business meeting earlier today, the members of the 

Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed a 

resolution honoring Senator BOXER’s work on that committee 

and her work in the U.S. Senate. At that time, we noted that 

she was the ranking member on the subcommittee that provided help for women and girls globally, and her work in Afghanistan was most notable. She has made a difference 

around the world for young women. 

Senator BOXER authored the first-ever specific authorization for afterschool programs, a bipartisan bill that thenPresident George W. Bush signed into law in 2002. Today’s 

afterschool programs are funded at $1.15 billion, allowing 

them to serve 1.6 million children. She was the author of another bipartisan bill to accelerate America’s contribution to 

combat global HIV–AIDS and tuberculosis. 

Senator BOXER wrote two laws to enhance economic and 

security cooperation with Israel. In 2012, she worked with 

the Senator from Georgia, Mr. Isakson, on the United StatesIsrael Enhanced Security Cooperation Act, which extended 

loan guarantees to Israel, increased the U.S. military stockpile in Israel, and encouraged NATO-Israel cooperation. In 

2014, she worked with the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Blunt, 

on the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 

2014, further strengthening economic and security cooperation between the two countries. 

[ 11 ] 

Senator BOXER has strong principles. She can be outspoken when the need arises, but she is also a consummate 

legislator, able to work across the aisle and across the Hill 

to get important things done. We are going to miss her skills 

and her leadership. I know we will continue to hear from her 

because she is not the retiring type, but she certainly has 

earned the right to spend more time with her husband Stewart, their children Doug and Nicole, and four grandchildren. 

We wish her well, and we will miss her in the Senate. 

I yield the floor. 

WEDNESDAY, December 7, 2016 

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, as each session of Congress comes to a close, both leaders traditionally pay tribute 

to the retiring Members of their own parties. This year is a 

bit different, of course, with the retirement of the Democratic 

leader. So in addition to what I will be saying about him tomorrow, I figured I might shake things up just a bit more, 

just this one time. I figured I would tell my colleagues about 

two colleagues from across the aisle who have made their 

own mark on this Chamber for many years. . . . 

So here is what we have come to know about Senator Mikulski: Her word is her bond, she is a passionate advocate 

for the causes she supports, and good luck stopping her once 

she puts her mind to something. 

You could say the same thing about another BARBARA I 

know too. Senator BOXER, like her colleague from Maryland, 

is hardly the tallest Member around here, but she is not in 

the habit of getting overlooked either. The Boxer box helps 

with that, of course. It is what she stands on at press conferences to give her just a little more height. Yes, if that 

sounds familiar, that is because it is that box which once 

served as inspiration for an episode of HBO’s ‘‘Veep.’’ 

It is a good thing our colleague has a sense of humor. She 

understands how far that can go around here. She has often 

relied on it through her years in the Senate, in fact, including when she announced her retirement via rhyme: ‘‘More 

than 20 years in a job I love,’’ she wrote, ‘‘thanks to California and the Lord above.’’ You get the picture. It goes on, 

but here is the key line: ‘‘As long as there are issues and 

challenges and strife, I will never retire, ’cause that’s the 

meaning of my life.’’ That sure sounds like the Senator 

BOXER I know. 

[ 12 ] 

It is not always easy to find common ground around here. 

It takes hard work. It takes negotiation. It often takes those 

intangibles too—like comic relief. So enter Senator Inhofe. I 

am really going to miss the Jim and BARBARA show when it 

comes to an end next year, especially after such a storied run 

over at EPW. One day, she is the boss; the next day, it is 

he. They are the best of pals; they are the fiercest of rivals. 

They work together on everything; they agree on almost 

nothing. It sounds like the premise for some buddy comedy 

from the 1980s, but here is what it really is: a political 

masterstroke. 

This unlikeliest of partnerships led this year to the first 

significant environmental reform law in decades. It also led 

this year to Senate passage of a waterways infrastructure 

bill that will support important projects across our country. 

While some may refer to BARBARA BOXER and Jim Inhofe as 

the ‘‘oddest of Senate odd couples,’’ here is what I would call 

them: pretty smart. 

I remember Senator Inhofe always telling me how much 

he enjoyed working with Senator BOXER and how there were 

things they could actually agree on, so I made a note of it 

and kept an eye out for an opportunity of my own. It finally 

happened in this very Congress. Senator BOXER and Senator 

Inhofe and I worked together to pass the longest term highway transportation and infrastructure bill in nearly two decades. This isn’t something the critics thought could be done. 

We each harbored our own doubts. Yet, a bill that repeatedly 

threatened to come apart actually never did. As Senator 

BOXER put it, it was ‘‘the impossible dream.’’ It succeeded because we worked in good faith, because we came together, 

and because we focused on the areas where we did agree and 

not just the ones where we didn’t. 

That is what happens around here when the Senate is 

working the way it should. We see colleagues from opposite 

sides working through political differences and coming together on solutions for the American people. Perhaps that is 

one reason why nearly a quarter of a century later, Senator 

BOXER says she is leaving the Senate with a full heart. I 

know she is leaving with the respect of many of her colleagues, too, including some she might not have expected 

when she first came. 

Let me finish with some advice Barbara Mikulski gave to 

young BARBARA BOXER as she contemplated her first Senate 

run. ‘‘If you run,’’ Senator Mikulski said, ‘‘it will be the 

toughest thing you will ever do,’’ but, she added, it will also 

[ 13 ] 

be ‘‘the best thing you will ever do.’’ I think this is something 

we can all relate to regardless of which party we belong to 

and regardless of which State we come from. At the end of 

the day, we all came here to accomplish things for the people 

we represent, even if we have different ideas on how to do 

them. 

So, thankfully, there should be no disagreement over this 

next task. I ask all Senators to join me in recognizing our 

colleagues for their service and to join me in wishing them 

good luck as they begin the next chapters of their lives. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coats). The Senator from 

Oklahoma. 

Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, that was a very emotional 

and heartfelt speech [Mrs. BOXER’s farewell address, see p. 

ix]. As I look around, I know there are a lot of people who 

want to respond and be heard, but I grabbed it first. This 

will be real short. 

I believe it was the majority leader who gave me a quote 

this morning. He made the comment that the two of you 

agree on nothing, but you get everything done. 

Mrs. BOXER. That is right. 

Mr. INHOFE. There is a reason for that. If you stop and 

think about it, we came to the House and Senate at about 

the same time. There are no two people in this body who are 

further apart from each other than BARBARA BOXER and Jim 

Inhofe. Yet we have something beautiful. I hesitate to show 

this AP picture of our embrace, but it has to be in the Record 

here somewhere. 

For 12 years, we swapped—back and forth—being chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. I always remember when the Republicans were in the majority 

back in—let’s see. We lost it in 2006. I remember seeing 

BARBARA, Al Gore, and all these other people danced in and 

out the door saying the world is going to come to an end unless we do all of these things. 

At that time, she said something very profound that I 

never forgot, and I thought about it for the next 8 years. She 

said that we look at things differently. We had an election 

and elections have consequences. Remember that elections 

have consequences. Well, 2 years ago, the Republicans took 

over, and I gave her a T-shirt that said: ‘‘Elections have consequences.’’ During all that time, we didn’t really change in 

terms of what we were doing together. I have a list of the 

[ 14 ] 

things we have done that I left someplace, but, nevertheless, 

we did the highway bill in 1998 and 2005. All of the things 

we did actually worked. I remember when we had a news 

conference on TSCA. When I looked around, I saw all of my 

very liberal Democratic friends and me, and I thought: Wait 

a minute. How did this happen? 

We have been able to work together and get things done, 

and I have been very proud of that. In fact, I shouldn’t say 

this because I am going to divulge our confidence, but we 

have meetings just as Democrats have their meetings. All 

the chairmen get together, and when it was my turn to make 

a statement, I said, ‘‘Now, from the committee that gets 

things done.’’ Anyway, that is the way it has been. 

I disagreed with Senator BOXER on a lot of the regulations, 

and I have told her many times she has every right to be 

wrong. 

Mrs. BOXER. You do. 

Mr. INHOFE. But on the things that were really important, we did manage to get things accomplished. There is an 

awful lot of hate around here, and it is so unnecessary. You 

can disagree with someone and love them anyway. I have to 

say that confession is good for the soul, but I want my good 

friend to know I am truly going to miss her around here. 

Mrs. BOXER. I thank the Senator from Oklahoma so 

much. 

Mr. INHOFE. I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California. 

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, the relationship we felt was 

based on trust and honesty. We never ever misled each 

other. I just love the Senator’s staff. I really do. Our staff developed the same type of relationship that we developed— 

disagreeing on many things but understanding that we can 

work together and find common ground. I just hope, as I step 

out the door—Lord knows when that will be, given this 

place—that others will form this type of bond across party 

lines because without it, things just don’t work right. 

I want my friend to know it has been a great pleasure to 

work with him in every way, shape, and form. One of us is 

from Venus and one of us is from Mars, and that is just the 

way it is. We just see the world differently, but it hasn’t 

stopped us from putting aside those disagreements. We were 

never bitter with each other. 

[ 15 ] 

We had a pretty big divide. One person said climate 

change is a hoax and the other said it is the biggest threat 

we have to deal with, but we knew there was no way we 

could come together so we kind of put it aside and didn’t let 

it spoil our friendship or our ability to work together in any 

way. 

So I think it is a very important message to many chairmen and ranking members that if there is honesty—set it 

aside if you can’t work together, but where you can find 

those sweet spots, do it because everyone wants—they are 

cheering us on from the outside. I can’t tell you how many 

people at home tell me: We don’t know how you do it, but 

it is great what you and Senator Inhofe get done. 

Fortunately, we never lost an election over our friendship, 

which could have happened, you know. They could have said: 

I am not going to vote for him; he talks to her. But we were 

able to prove that we can do it. 

So, Jim, I am honored that you came down to the floor. I 

am honored that Senator McConnell said such nice things. I 

am so honored that so many came to the floor to hear my 

farewell remarks. 

Again, I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland. 

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I thank the gentlelady 

from California (Mrs. BOXER). 

Mrs. BOXER. I like ‘‘gentlelady.’’ 

Ms. MIKULSKI. That is the way we talk here. I thank the 

gentlelady from California for her kind words [about me]. We 

have been together through thick, thin, and the attempt to 

get thin, and that story about bending at the waist is a true 

one. 

I am not the person with the best hairdo or sleek or chic, 

but one of the things I have so admired about my friend is 

her authenticity. We first got to know each other in the 

House, and then I encouraged you to come to the Senate, 

which certainly was the right thing to do. You are yourself. 

You are true to yourself, you are true to your beliefs. You are 

true to your constituents, and you are true to the Constitution. You are such a true blue person. There are many words 

to describe you, such as outspoken, feisty, and all of that, but 

I would say the word that describes you best is ‘‘authentic.’’ 

You are who you are. The people of California have loved you 

for it and sent you to the Congress. 

[ 16 ] 

We started out together basically in city council roles, 

sometimes called the pothole parliament. It has been a pleasure to serve with the Senator from California. I have 

watched you stand up for your beliefs, and along the way, as 

you stood up for your beliefs, you made believers of us all. 

Godspeed to you, BARBARA. We are friends forever. 

Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I wish to speak about 

Senator Mikulski and then also Senator BOXER, the two 

great Senator BARBARAs who have been such giants in the 

Senate. We are so grateful to both of them. . . . 

It really is an honor to stand here. I can’t imagine the Senate without Senator Mikulski and Senator BOXER. . . . 

Madam President, as her name suggests, Senator BOXER

has always been a fighter, a champion for the people of California, and a good friend. 

Though Senator BOXER began her life in Brooklyn, California has always been her home. 

It is where she got elected to the Marin County Board of 

Supervisors, becoming the first woman to hold the board’s 

presidency. 

It is where she first got elected to the House of Representatives, where she quickly rose and became a leader we could 

all aspire to be. 

As Senator, she has worked tirelessly for families, children, consumers, everyone in the State of California, and 

Americans everywhere. 

Senator BOXER has always been a wonderful mentor to me, 

and she has been relentless on moving forward on some of 

the most critically important issues of our time. 

As the first woman to chair the Environment and Public 

Works Committee, she has provided the support that has 

kept America’s air and water safe and to fight climate 

change. She defended mercury and lead standards and installed choking warnings on packages. 

I will personally always be grateful for her tireless advocacy and support for the 100,000 Flint citizens who have 

been poisoned by lead in their water. 

We have her to thank when we know that children and 

families all over the country can be safer and more secure 

in their own neighborhood. 

She has been an incredible supporter of transportation, extending the highway trust fund, helping protect over 1 million jobs. Or her Mat Map–21 transportation bill, which modernized Federal highway, highway safety, and transportation 

programs. 

[ 17 ] 

She has fought for children and families, her work in the 

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions 

Act—providing extra services for young adults under 21 and 

helping some of America’s young people who need it most. 

On a personal note, I have greatly enjoyed sharing a love 

of music with my friend, BARBARA. Her creativity and passion for song has been a special part of who she is. 

Her retirement, while well earned, will be a loss for all of 

us. 

Thank you so much for your service. 

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, this is one of those weeks 

where, every 6 years or 4 years or 2 years, we pause and pay 

tribute to those who have been elected to the Senate and 

have served with us and will be retiring or were possibly defeated in the last election. . . . 

At this point, I wish to pause and pay attention to BARBARA BOXER from California. A lot of my colleagues will say: 

‘‘Wait a minute. Why are you talking about BARBARA BOXER? 

You are a Republican. She is an icon in the Democratic 

Party. She is a liberal, and you are a conservative.’’ 

She is a great Senator, and I will tell you why. BARBARA

and I served on the Ethics Committee for the last 9 years. 

When I was asked to go on the committee, she was the chairman. Later on, I succeeded her as the chairman. I am the 

chairman today, and she is still a member until she retires. 

The Ethics Committee is the one assignment nobody wants 

to get. But when you get it, you want to have somebody who 

will do what is right. Regardless of their party, you need 

somebody who will do what is right for the Member, the institution, and will carry out their responsibilities under the 

Constitution, which all of us are obligated to do in the Senate. 

In the last 9 years, I worked with BARBARA BOXER on any 

number of complaints, allegations, and cases against Members of the Senate for unethical conduct or conduct unbecoming of a Senator. We have admonished some, cleared some, 

and recommended the expulsion of some, and some have resigned because of our investigation. I take no pride in anyone leaving the Senate because of the actions of the committee, but I take great pride in the fact that no one in 9 

years has questioned the integrity of the Senate Ethics Committee, the job it has done, or the final decision it has made, 

and I give most of the credit for that to BARBARA BOXER. She 

is a liberal Democrat, and I am a conservative Republican, 

but when it comes to calling balls and strikes in terms of 

[ 18 ] 

ethics, we call them down the middle. That is a credit to the 

institution, a credit to her, and a credit to the Ethics Committee. 

At this moment, I want to pause and say to my retiring 

friend BARBARA BOXER: Thank you for your service to the 

country, thank you for what you have meant to the State of 

California, and thank you for what you have meant to the 

institution of the Senate and the commitment to ethical behavior by our Members. Thank you for making it a standard 

that you and I stood for. It was a pleasure for me to serve 

with you and be called one of the members of the odd couple. 

Isakson and BOXER, the two Senate chairs that love our 

country, are committed to ethics and will always try to do 

what is exactly right. 

God bless you, BARBARA. Best of luck to you. 

I yield the floor. 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in 1922, Rebecca Latimer 

Felton was the first woman to sit in the U.S. Senate. She 

served in this body for only 1 day, but during those 24 hours 

she made a bold prediction for her time about the future role 

women would play in the Senate. She said: ‘‘When the 

women of the country come in and sit with you . . . you will 

get ability, you will get integrity of purpose, you will get exalted patriotism, and you will get unstinted usefulness.’’ I 

will second that. 

BARBARA and I served together in the House—and we have 

served together in the Senate for 20 years. Let me tell you, 

no one embodies Senator Felton’s prediction better than 

BARBARA BOXER. 

Throughout the years, I have loved getting to know 

BARBARA as a colleague, but more important, as a friend. Loretta and I joined BARBARA and her husband, Stew, on official trips, personal vacations, and countless dinners. We 

have eaten, drank, joked, and bonded. As her career in the 

Senate comes to an end, keeping those bonds of friendship 

strong as she heads west is one my life goals. 

BARBARA made quite an impact on the Senate Chamber 

before she even entered this body. On October 9, 1991, the 

Senate Judiciary Committee was set to vote on the nomination of Justice Clarence Thomas to serve a lifetime appointment on the U.S. Supreme Court, without listening to Professor Anita Hill’s allegations of sexual harassment. At the 

time, there were two women in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski and Nancy Landon Kassebaum. Now, while this was 

going on in the Senate, the women of the House tried speakVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:24 Apr 24, 2017 Jkt 098900 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE16\23049.TXT KAYNE
[ 19 ] 

ing out in that body. They were censured. And they had 

enough. So they marched out of the House and over to the 

Senate—29 women House Members, led by Congresswoman 

Pat Schroeder from Colorado and BARBARA BOXER from California. American politics has never been the same. 

The following year, a number of esteemed women were 

elected to the U.S. Senate. Several reporters deemed 1992 

the ‘‘Year of the Woman.’’ Senator Mikulski, the dean of 

women, as she is often referred to, said: ‘‘Calling 1992 the 

Year of the Woman makes it sound like the Year of the Caribou or the Year of the Asparagus. We’re not a fad, fancy, or 

a year.’’ She was right. But California made history. For the 

first time, one State sent two women to represent them in 

the Senate: Dianne Feinstein and BARBARA BOXER. 

BARBARA often reminds me of the line from Shakespeare’s 

‘‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’: ‘‘Though she be but little, 

she is fierce.’’ In 1994, when Republicans took control of Congress, one of the first things they did was go after environmental regulations, including rules to limit the amount of arsenic in the drinking water. BARBARA immediately launched 

a good old-fashioned, 3-day ‘‘Ms. Smith Goes to Washington’’ 

filibuster. Like most of the fights she takes on, she won. 

BARBARA is a call-it-as-you-see-it kind of person. Maybe it 

is because she grew up in the no-nonsense, working class 

town of Brooklyn. Or maybe it is because her parents and 

Jewish grandparents, who immigrated to this country from 

Russia instilled in her a deep love for America’s Constitution 

and freedoms—a sense of obligation to give something back 

and a determination to fight for underdogs, truth, and justice. 

She has sponsored or cosponsored more than 1,200 pieces 

of legislation and helped lead the fight on issues ranging 

from women’s rights to health care to protecting California’s 

natural wonders to keeping lead and other potentially lethal 

hazards out of children’s toys. 

The vote that sealed our spiritual kinship took place in October 2002 when she and I voted against the Iraq war resolution. One of our dear friends, Paul Wellstone, also voted 

against the resolution. Paul was in a tough reelection fight 

that year. A reporter asked him if it was a hard choice to 

vote against the war. Paul said it was a risk, but not a 

choice. His conscience wouldn’t let him vote any other way. 

It seems to me that is how BARBARA BOXER approaches every 

one of her votes in Congress: It might be a risk, but it is not 

a choice. She listens to her conscience, and the people of 

[ 20 ] 

California respect her for it. Let me be clear: that doesn’t 

mean she will not work hard to find a compromise. 

She proved that in recent years when she and Jim 

Inhofe—the unlikeliest of odd couples—worked together to 

pass important legislation updating regulations on toxic 

chemicals and shepherding through a surface transportation 

bill that no one thought could be done. 

I will close with this. Early in BARBARA’s political career, 

people used to come up to her and say, ‘‘How did you get so 

strong, how did you get so tough?’’ BARBARA would humbly 

respond, ‘‘Oh, not tough. I am just an ordinary person, and 

I do what I think is right.’’ I agree with most of that, but 

let me tell you—BARBARA is as tough as they come. She can’t 

be bullied or intimidated, and she never loses her courage. 

I want to thank BARBARA for sacrificing so much time with 

her own family to make the families of America safer, 

healthier, and more hopeful. For that and a thousand other 

reasons, I will miss her in the Senate. I know I can count 

on her to keep pushing those of us who remain to listen to 

our consciences—to fight for change and do the right thing. 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor 

our colleagues who are leaving us at the end of this Congress, six individuals who have done a lot to shape how the 

Senate operates today. 

First I would like to thank my three Republican colleagues 

who are departing. Thank you not only for your service to 

our country but your willingness to work with me and other 

members of my party on a number of issues. . . . 

I would also like to speak to three of my closest colleagues 

on our side of the aisle. 

Over the past 24 years, I have had the pleasure of serving 

in the Senate with Harry Reid, Barbara Mikulski, and 

BARBARA BOXER, and I am grateful not just for our working 

relationships but for the close friendships I have formed with 

each of them. . . . 

Mr. President, finally, I would like to talk about my partner from California, BARBARA BOXER. 

Senator BOXER and I were elected to the Senate on the 

same day in 1992, the ‘‘Year of the Woman.’’ 

The day BARBARA was sworn in was historic; it was the 

first time two women represented their State together in the 

Senate. That is an honor I am grateful to have shared with 

my good friend. 

From the Marin County Board of Supervisors, to the 

House of Representatives, to the U.S. Senate—Senator 

[ 21 ] 

BOXER has been a champion for families, children, consumers, and the environment. 

She rose to become the chair and now ranking member of 

the Environment and Public Works Committee. I have great 

respect for Senator BOXER’s passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for protecting the environment. No one does it better. 

She led an effort to protect California’s coast from offshore 

drilling. She authored the California Missions Preservation 

Act to restore and protect the 21 historic missions in California. She helped create Pinnacles National Park, Fort Ord 

National Monument, and Cesar Chavez National Monument. 

She led the effort to expand the Gulf of Farallones and 

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries. 

In California, there are now more than 1 million acres of 

protected wilderness thanks to Senator BOXER. 

But she was more than just a champion for our environment. 

In the Senate, BARBARA was a staunch advocate for issues 

related to children. 

She pushed to protect children from dangerous toys by removing lead or other dangerous chemicals and requiring cautionary warnings on children’s products sold over the Internet. She fought to remove arsenic from drinking water to 

protect children. As chair of the After School Caucus, she 

wrote legislation to secure Federal funding for afterschool 

programs. Thanks to Senator BOXER, 1.6 million children 

now have a safe place to go after school. 

She fought for our servicemembers. 

She founded the Military Families Caucus to provide support for the families of servicemembers. She helped establish 

the West Coast Combat Care Center in San Diego, so that 

southern California veterans with traumatic wounds would 

have access to quality care. 

Senator BOXER fought for consumers. 

She authored a bipartisan measure to prevent a conflict of 

interest with banks acting as real estate brokers. After the 

housing crisis, she wrote measures to protect homeowners 

whose mortgage is transferred or sold. She pushed for legislation to help homeowners refinance with lower rates— 

thanks to that effort, 1 million borrowers were able to save 

thousands of dollars in interest payments each year. 

Finally, BARBARA was a staunch defender of women’s 

rights. 

She led the floor fight to pass the Freedom of Access to 

Clinic Entrances Act and pushed back against repeated atVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:24 Apr 24, 2017 Jkt 098900 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE16\23049.TXT KAYNE
[ 22 ] 

tacks on women’s health and a woman’s right to privacy. Her 

efforts led to the passage of the Violence Against Women Act 

that protects women from domestic and sexual abuse. 

She worked closely with then-Senator Joe Biden to pass 

that landmark bill. After she announced her retirement, the 

Vice President said, ‘‘You always knew in the Senate if you 

had BARBARA on your side, you didn’t need much more.’’ 

Well, I have been lucky to have BARBARA by my side for 

the past 24 years. 

She has been a strong advocate for the people of California, and I am grateful to have served with her. 

I am also grateful for the friendship we have shared over 

the years. 

BARBARA and her husband, Stewart, are two of the 

kindest, most caring people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Their marriage of more than 50 years has brought them 

considerable joy. Together they raised two wonderful children and are now blessed with four grandchildren. 

I am sure she is looking forward to spending more time 

with them. 

While she may be retiring from the Senate, the passion 

BARBARA displayed for public service will not end. 

I know she will continue to advocate and remain a powerful voice for the causes she championed here in the U.S. Senate. 

I look forward to seeing what she is able to accomplish in 

the next phase of her life and offer her best wishes in a welldeserved retirement. 

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute 

to Senator BARBARA BOXER, who has served her State and 

country with boundless energy, enthusiasm, and exuberance. 

Senator BOXER’s 24 years in the Senate are only part of 

her legacy of leadership and accomplishments. Previously, 

she served for 10 years in the House of Representatives for 

California’s Sixth Congressional District and before that as 

the first woman president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. 

That remarkable record of service includes another record. 

In her reelection in 2004, Senator BOXER received nearly 7 

million votes, the most in Senate history until that time and 

a mark that stood for 8 years. 

During her service in the Senate, Senator BOXER has established herself as a champion of the environment, infrastructure, and medical research. Along with Senator Inhofe, 

she authored a 5-year transportation bill that many thought 

[ 23 ] 

was an impossible task in a gridlocked Senate. But she 

worked across the aisle and did it. The United States-Israel 

Enhanced Security Cooperation Act she authored in 2012 reaffirmed the special relationship between our two countries 

and is another of Senator BOXER’s accomplishments. 

It has been especially rewarding to work with her on legislation to better protect women from violence in our country 

and around the world. 

In her first campaign for Congress in 1982, she ran under 

the slogan, ‘‘BARBARA BOXER Gives a Damn.’’ She always has 

and always will. It is a pleasure to thank Senator BARBARA

BOXER for her years of service and to wish her and her husband, Stewart, many more years of good health and great 

happiness. 

THURSDAY, December 8, 2016 

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I want to take an opportunity 

to salute and thank and commend my colleagues who are departing. . . . 

We also have other colleagues departing: Senator Ayotte 

from New Hampshire; Senator BOXER of California, Senator 

Coats of Indiana; as I mentioned, Senator Kirk of Illinois; 

Senator Mikulski of Maryland; Senator Reid of Nevada; and 

Senator Vitter of Louisiana. Each has brought passion in 

their work to best serve their constituents, and the institution of the Senate and the Nation are better for this service. 

I am better for knowing them, working with them, and having the opportunity to share with them, and I want to thank 

them for their service. Let me mention a few words with respect to all of these distinguished Senators. . . . 

Mr. President, BARBARA BOXER and I had the privilege to 

serve both in the House and the Senate together. My first 

term in the House of Representatives was BARBARA’s last 

term in the House before she was elected to the Senate. She 

is an extraordinary, tenacious fighter—remarkably so. She 

has fought for women’s rights. She has fought for the rights 

of families, for people who needed economic assistance, and 

for people who needed a chance because she realized that the 

essence of America is opportunity—opportunity for all, not 

just for those who are privileged or who have the benefit of 

wealth or power but for all. She has done this extraordinarily well. 

[ 24 ] 

A great deal of her energy was directed to environmental 

protection because that is something that benefits all of us 

and that is something that is really the biggest legacy we 

will give to the next generation and the generations that follow. No one has more fiercely defended the environment— 

not just for a narrow interest, not just for a temporary expedient but for the long-term health and wealth of the American people. . . . 

I have been very fortunate. I have had the privilege to 

serve with these ladies and gentlemen, and I want to thank 

them for their service. 

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, mountains, rivers, cities, and 

plains separate Vermont and California, two States as different as any in the country. But here in the U.S. Senate, 

we are on equal footing. It is one of the hallmarks of our 

Constitution and representative government. For over three 

decades, BARBARA BOXER worked to advance the priorities of 

Californians. Thankfully, in many ways, those priorities, despite the diversity of our States, have mirrored those of 

Vermonters. 

A trailblazer in her own right, Senator BOXER rose to become the first woman to chair the Senate Environment and 

Public Works Committee, where she fought to protect and 

preserve our environment, promote clean and safe drinking 

water, update our antiquated infrastructure, and improve 

public safety. 

Senator BOXER was an early and vocal supporter of our efforts to reauthorize and expand the important Violence 

Against Women Act. Her passionate pleas to Senators and 

Members of the House to approve this critical—and lifesaving—bill was essential to the Senate’s debate. 

Of course, most important in Senator BOXER’s life is her 

family. Like many, I was touched when she announced her 

retirement in an interview with her grandson. She has been 

a tireless advocate for her home State and for the country. 

Now, in retirement, I hope she enjoys even more time with 

Stewart and her wonderful family. Far from finished fighting, I know BARBARA’s voice will not be one soon forgotten 

in the U.S. Senate. 

Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, at the end of each Congress, the 

Senate takes a moment to express our appreciation and acknowledge the efforts of those Members who will be retiring 

in just a few weeks. This year one of our colleagues who will 

be returning home is Senator BARBARA BOXER. 

[ 25 ] 

BARBARA will be leaving us after a career of over 30 years 

in the House and Senate. During her service, she has impressed all those with whom she has worked with the 

strength of her views, her courage, and her determination to 

fight for the things in which she truly believes. Regardless 

of the circumstances that drew her into each legislative battle, she has always held true to the principles that have 

guided her in her life. 

For BARBARA, her early career work as a stockbroker soon 

found her heading to California with her husband after he 

had completed his work in law school. She then got interested in politics and became a strong voice for the political 

views of the people who resided in the area she now called 

home. Her constituents liked what they heard from 

BARBARA—and the way she expressed her views on the 

issues and proposals she wanted to work on. 

Her style of speaking soon became her trademark in Congress. She has a convincing way of presenting her case, and 

that is one reason why it was always good to be on her side. 

She calls it speaking ‘‘extremely candid and straight from 

the shoulders, and not to be mealy-mouthed or waffle.’’ Anyone who has had a chance to come to know her—or to tackle 

an issue either with her or opposed to her—knows how accurate that description is. 

Right after the tragedy of 9/11, I joined BARBARA as ranking member of the subcommittee she chaired regarding terrorism financing. I was proud to join her in that work, and 

I have appreciated the significant role she has played on a 

number of highway bills, which are important to both of our 

home States. 

Over the years, there have been some other issues that we 

could discuss and work on with an eye toward compromise. 

For each of us, however, there were other issues that were 

of such importance to our constituents it would have been 

hard for either of us to move too far from the path that we 

had been following from our early days in politics. 

BARBARA and I both have a strong touch of the West in our 

hearts that we express every day in everything we do. That 

is why I was not surprised when she mentioned as she spoke 

about her retirement that she felt that it was time for her 

to return home—as she said so well—‘‘to the State I love so 

much, California.’’ 

BARBARA, Diana joins me in sending our congratulations 

for your hard work and your dedication to your home State. 

You have left your mark here in Congress, and I think it is 

[ 26 ] 

safe to say you will not be forgotten. Thanks again for your 

willingness to serve and work so hard for what you believe 

in. You have helped to encourage and inspire the next generation of leaders from your State. In that way and so many 

others, you have made a difference. 

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about 

my longtime friend and colleague BARBARA BOXER, who is retiring from this body along with me this year. 

Senator BOXER will be remembered as an inspiration to 

young women across our country. Her career is a textbook of 

how to get involved in public service. Starting at the local 

level, she came out of the antiwar movement and got involved in the environmental movement and local causes. 

Taking lessons from grassroots organizing, she ran for the 

Marin County Board of Supervisors. She lost that first race, 

but she didn’t give up. She ran again and won and became 

the first female chair. 

Eventually, she made her way to the U.S. House of Representatives. Along the way, she heard a lot of ‘‘no,’’ but always turned it into a ‘‘yes.’’ She never quit, never lost faith 

in herself, and never stopped trying. 

When it looked like the accusations of Anita Hill would be 

swept under the rug, I spoke out in the Senate against it, 

but I was only one female voice. BARBARA BOXER came to my 

aid. Even though she was in the House, she led a troop of 

fierce House women running up the steps to the Senate to 

face down the Judiciary Committee and demand they shed 

light on the accusations of sexual harassment. BARBARA had 

the crack team of Eleanor Holmes Norton, Pat Schroeder, 

Louise Slaughter, Nita Lowey, Jolene Unsoeld, and Patsy 

Mink to back her up. They marshaled the press and marched 

right up these steps. They knocked on the door and were 

going to be turned away because they weren’t Senators. But 

they pointed to that group of photographers and said, ‘‘We 

are going to tell them that you turned us away, what do you 

think will happen then?’’ So they were let in and made their 

case. Those Senators couldn’t face the calculation and fury of 

BARBARA BOXER and the House women, and those hearings 

were convened. The Anita Hill hearings made an indelible 

mark on this country. 

It really woke America up as to what was going on in the 

workplaces around the country for women and how little representation women really got in Congress. Watching that allmale Judiciary Committee tear into Professor Hill for daring 

to accuse her boss of sexual harassment, the women of 

[ 27 ] 

America took action and elected BARBARA BOXER, Dianne 

Feinstein, Carol Moseley Braun, and Patty Murray to the 

U.S. Senate. 

I was thrilled when BARBARA came to me thinking about 

running for the Senate. I told her it was the perfect time: 

she can do more in the Senate and be heard in the Senate. 

I said it would be worth the fight to get her here with me, 

even if just to have someone I could see eye to eye with on 

a daily basis. 

BARBARA even started an exercise program in the House 

when we were there together. She showed up in colorful leotards, and Geraldine Ferraro came looking like a photo op 

for Vanity Fair, and Olympia Snowe wore this gorgeous outfit. I show up, chunky yet funky, and the instructor is 

yelling, ‘‘Go for the burn! Put your hands on your waist and 

bend, bend, bend!’’ I turned to BARBARA and said, ‘‘If I had 

a waist, I wouldn’t be here.’’ Well, those exercise classes may 

not have lasted long for me, but her energy just couldn’t be 

beat. 

Her zip and zest is pure California sunshine, and Californians have more sunshine in their spirit because of her 

work. Her energy has brought light to California and light 

to the sometimes dreary Capitol hallways. 

I am going to miss my good friend and irreplaceable political partner. Democrats have had a lot of tough fights over 

the last 25 years, and the two Barbaras have always been 

there, side by side. We voted against the war in Iraq, both 

believing it was a mistake. We were in the minority, but 

both of us still believe it was one of the best votes we have 

ever taken as Senators. We stood up for what we believed in 

and what we thought was right—which is exactly what our 

constituents sent us here to do. 

BARBARA BOXER has been there for our children, leading 

the way for afterschool programs and making sure they are 

kept safe. She has fought against wasteful spending in the 

Pentagon—the $400 hammer and the $7,000 coffeepot. She 

has defended women’s right to choose and protected women 

against domestic violence. She has held the feet of polluters 

to the fire as the champion of clean air, clean water, and our 

natural resources. It is too hard to pinpoint just one thing 

the Senate will miss about her: her political prowess, her 

dedication and determination, her undying loyalty and 

friendship. All of those and more will be missed. 

As we end this session of Congress and our careers in the 

Senate, I wish BARBARA and her husband, Stewart, many 

[ 28 ] 

happy days ahead as they start writing this new chapter in 

their lives. Even if we are on opposite sides of the country, 

I know I will always have a friend in California. 

FRIDAY, December 9, 2016 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. . . . Madam President, I will close my 

remarks by turning to some of our retiring Senators and 

speaking briefly on each one of them. . . . 

Finally, there is Senator BARBARA BOXER, who joined the 

Senate in 1993. When I got to the Senate, I was on the Environment Committee. She was the new chair. I got to see first 

hand her advocacy—her advocacy on climate change, her advocacy on transportation and waterway infrastructure—and 

the way she would just never give up when she decided 

something was right for her State and right for the country. 

The one thing that everyone talks about is BARBARA

BOXER’s fiery advocacy and her incredible humor and tenacity. Sometimes, I think people forget how productive she has 

been when she worked across the aisle. I saw first hand how 

she was able to work with Senator Inhofe on the transportation bill and then later with Senator McConnell on the last 

transportation bill. 

She is someone who has credibility on our side of the aisle. 

When she says she is willing to make a compromise with the 

Republicans, people listen. She never gave up. She would 

have dinners at Italian restaurants. She would find ways, in 

kind of a mom’s way, to get everyone together. She passed 

some really incredible legislation, including water infrastructure legislation with Senator Vitter over the last few years. 

That is what she has done. I can’t think of anyone whom 

we are going to miss more in terms of that presence and that 

kind of hardscrabble advocacy, which is always coupled with 

the pragmatic way of getting important bills done. So we are 

going to miss Senator Reid, Senator Mikulski, and, also, Senator BOXER. 

Mr. MCCONNELL. . . . It goes without saying that keeping 

the Capitol running is a vast undertaking. It requires a passion for service, round-the-clock work, and great sacrifice by 

everyone employed. The legislative process simply wouldn’t 

be possible without the dedicated work of so many. On behalf 

of the Senate, I would like to acknowledge their efforts and 

say thank you to the following: 

[ 29 ] 

To my leadership team for their wise counsel; to our committee chairs and ranking members for so much great work 

over the past 2 years; to the many colleagues in both parties 

for working so hard to make this Senate a success; and, to 

those we are saying farewell to—Senators Coats, BOXER, Mikulski, Reid, Vitter, Kirk, and Ayotte—for your service to our 

country, I say thank you. . . . 

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 

contributions of my colleague and friend, Senator BARBARA

BOXER. While her distinguished time in the House and Senate comes to a close at the end of the 114th Congress, she 

will continue to be engaged and serve her community. 

During her more than 30 years in the House and Senate, 

BARBARA worked tirelessly to create a better future for all 

Americans. When she first announced that she would run for 

the Senate in 1990, BARBARA declared, ‘‘I will be running 

based on issues of the environment, a world of peace, economic prosperity, individual freedom of choice and freedom 

of the arts.’’ 

This declaration defined her time in Congress. 

Becoming the first woman to chair the Senate Committee 

on Environment and Public Works reflected her decades of 

dedication to protecting the environment. BARBARA was 

unafraid to take on big oil, and fought to block oil drilling 

in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. She also led 

the effort in the Senate to invest in the development of clean 

energy technology and to strengthen protections for our 

oceans. 

BARBARA knew that, for many, achieving ‘‘economic prosperity’’ meant attaining a college education. But the soaring 

cost of college keeps them from attaining a degree. Each 

year, BARBARA was one of the strongest leaders to ensure 

that college students have access to Pell grants, which nearly 

half of college students in our country depend upon. BARBARA’s advocacy moved the ball forward, and I was proud to 

join her in crafting a caucuswide bill that included our provisions to strengthen and protect Pell grants, and lower interest rates on student debt. 

BARBARA also never forgot her promise to protect ‘‘freedom 

of choice.’’ She authored the Freedom of Choice Act of 2004, 

which would have affirmed that ‘‘every woman has the fundamental right’’ to make her own reproductive health decisions. Without fail, BARBARA leads us each and every time 

that access to reproductive health care comes under attack. 

[ 30 ] 

While BARBARA’s departure leaves the Senate without one 

of its strongest champions for the environment, college affordability, and reproductive rights, we will continue to fight 

for these core priorities as she would have done. 

It has been a privilege to serve alongside a steadfast champion like BARBARA. 

She has served California with utter conviction, and I 

know she will continue to be a progressive force in this new 

chapter of her life. 

Aloha, BARBARA, and a hui hou, ‘‘until we meet again.’’ 

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, today I want to pay tribute to 

two colleagues who are retiring at the end of this year, Senator BOXER and Senator Mikulski, two remarkable Democratic women Senators leaving the Senate as four new 

women come in. 

Mr. President, for more than 40 years, BARBARA BOXER

has committed her life to public service, over 30 of them in 

Washington, first in the House of Representatives and, since 

1993, in the U.S. Senate. 

When asked what advice she would give to her successor, 

Senator BOXER said she should not be afraid to fight the 

good fight every single day. 

That is what Senator BOXER has done. Over the past four 

decades, she has been an advocate for medical research, 

women, workers, the environment, and infrastructure. 

As ranking member of the Environment and Public Works 

Committee, BARBARA BOXER urged Congress and the country 

to confront climate change, creating the Climate Action Task 

Force with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. 

In closing, I am reminded of what Robert Kennedy once 

said: ‘‘The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to 

make things better.’’ 

Senator BOXER has told us that, while she is leaving the 

Senate to return to California, she does not intend to end her 

life of service. She will continue to work to make things better. We wish her well and we thank her for her public service in the House and here in the Senate. 

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as this eventful 114th Congress draws to a close, today I wish to honor a number of our 

colleagues who will be ending their service in the Senate. I 

was a newcomer to the Senate at the beginning of this Congress and the only Democrat in the freshman Senate class 

of 2014. I am eternally grateful for the guidance and wisdom 

of my fellow Senators, particularly those with decades of exVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:24 Apr 24, 2017 Jkt 098900 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE16\23049.TXT KAYNE
[ 31 ] 

perience fighting for the American people. Constituents, colleagues, and historians will recount their accomplishments 

for years to come, but I will take a few minutes now to convey some brief words of praise and gratitude. . . . 

Mr. President, Senator BARBARA BOXER is also a trailblazing woman and a fierce advocate for what is best for her 

State, and I have been honored to get to know her through 

our work in the Senate. Throughout her career, Senator 

BOXER has fought for commonsense consumer and environmental protections to make us safer. She has been an incredible partner in our fight this year to end the water crisis in 

Flint, MI, and to reduce the threat of drinking water contamination in cities across the Nation. 

Senator BOXER knows that we must protect our children 

and communities from the grave effects of environmental 

contamination by investing in our aging infrastructure and 

maintaining vigilance. We must also provide the extra care, 

education, and health care services that these children and 

communities need to recover. 

She has always been a champion for children, from establishing the first federally funded afterschool program to protecting children from contaminated products. Just as important, Senator BOXER has been a leader in protecting the natural resources these future generations will inherit. Her victories for clean water, job-creating smart infrastructure 

projects, and environmental protections should inspire us to 

keep looking toward the future as we help our great States 

thrive today. . . . 

It has been a privilege to work with such talented and 

committed colleagues. I wish them all the best in this next 

chapter of their lives and thank them for their work. Thank 

you. 

ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENTS 

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of 

materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to retiring Members of the 114th Congress, and an additional Senate document a compilation of materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to the President of the Senate, Joe 

Biden, and that Members have until Tuesday, December 20, 

to submit such tributes. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. 

[ 32 ] 

ORDER FOR PRINTING 

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 

that any tributes submitted by December 20, 2016, as authorized by the order of December 10, 2016, be printed in the 

January 3, 2017, Congressional Record of the 114th Congress. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. 

Æ