Sen. Boxer Not Seeking Re-election in 2016
Sen. Barbara Boxer, who as the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, has been integral in advancing the most recent highway bills in Congress, announced she will not seek another term in office in 2016.
In a conversation with her grandson, Boxer said that while she is “never going to retire,” she would not run for re-election because she wants to spend more time in her home state of California.
The senator said she would prefer instead to “continue working on the issues that I love,” and help Democratic candidates win seats.
The outspoken four-term junior senator is her party’s chief deputy whip and has championed environmental causes during her tenure.
Bill Graves, American Trucking Associations president and CEO, called Boxer a “strong and vocal advocate” for infrastructure investment.
“We appreciate the work she did in crafting MAP-21 and over the next two years we look forward to working with her on a new highway reauthorization to take the next step in surface transportation," Graves said.
Boxer listed her top 100 legislative accomplishments during her time in Congress. At the No. 1 spot, she listed her contributions to passing the 2012 highway bill, that became the MAP-21 law.
This year she is expected to work with Sen. James Inhofe, the new EPW committee chairman, in advancing a long-term highway bill before a 2012 surface transportation law expires in May.
