• Democrat Barbara Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California. She currently serves as the Democrat's Chief Deputy Whip.

  
  On June 16, 2009, Boxer scolded Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh during a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing after the General addressed her as "ma'am." She interrupted his testimony to say "Could say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?" According to military guides, the terms sir and ma'am are appropriate when addressing someone of a higher rank.http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/18/sen-boxer-chides-brigadier-general-calling-maam/

• 1. Born: November 11, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York
  2. First elected to U.S. Senate in 1992
  3. Chairwoman, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  4. Party: Democrat
  5. Along with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of the first two female Jewish senators in U.S. history
  6. Spouse: Attorney Stewart Boxer
  7. One of the two shortest senators
  8. First woman to chair the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

• Political Career

  Boxer initially worked as a stockbroker and journalist after earning her Bachelor's Degree in Economics. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, and worked largely on the House Armed Services Committee. She was an outspoken defender of Anita Hill during the contentious confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

  Boxer joined the Senate in 1993. She had announced plans to retire in 2004, but reconsidered, and has now stated her intention to run again for office when her current term is up in 2010. She is routinely ranked among most progressive Democrats in the Senate, and is one of only two Senators to support Russ Feingold's proposal to censure President Bush over his domestic surveillance program in 2006.

• Boxer in Popular Culture

  In addition to her work in politics, Boxer is also a novelist. Her first book, A Time to Run, was published in 2005. She has also made several cameos in films and TV shows, including Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Steven Soderbergh movie Traffic.

• Boxer's Clinton Connection

  Boxer's daughter Nicole married Hillary Clinton's brother Tony Rodham in a 1994 ceremony held at The White House. The couple divorced six years later.

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