1. Led passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, which modernized federal highway, highway safety, and transit programs to make them more efficient and help address the infrastructure crisis facing our nation by reauthorizing and funding federal surface transportation programs for two years (fiscal years 2013 and 2014). MAP-21 transferred a small loan program into a dynamic program that is funding huge job-intensive infrastructure projects all across the nation. Signed into law on July 6, 2012.
2. Protected more than 1 million acres of federal public land in California as wilderness. The Omnibus Public Lands Package, which became law in 2009, included three bills I wrote to protect 57,000 acres in Big Sur and the Los Padres Forest plus 273,000 other acres of California coast as wilderness.
3. Passed the first-ever specific authorization for after-school programs. In 2001, the bipartisan bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002. After-school programs are now being funded at $1.15 billion, allowing them to serve 1.6 million children.
4. Chaired House-Senate conference and led the effort to pass the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, which invests in water infrastructure that protects communities from flooding, maintains navigation routes for commerce and the movement of goods, restores ecosystems, and provides a boost to the economy by creating jobs.
5. Wrote two laws to enhance economic and security cooperation with Israel. In 2012, I worked with Republican Senator Johnny Isakson to write the United States–Israel 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, I worked with Republican Senator Roy Blunt to write the U.S.–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014—further strengthening economic and security cooperation between the two countries.
6. Introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent abusive treatment of victims of sexual assault in the military. In November 2013, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham joined me to amend Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to help prevent abusive treatment of sexual assault victims in a pretrial setting. The legislation gained broad support from military law experts and victims’ advocacy groups, and was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2014.
7. Led the effort to stop unethical human pesticide testing. In 2005, the Senate adopted my amendment to the Interior appropriations bill prohibiting human pesticide testing until rulemaking was completed establishing standards consistent with National Academy of Sciences recommendations and the Nuremberg Code.
8. Helped establish a combat care center in San Diego to treat wounded service members. I filed an amendment to provide funding for a Comprehensive Combat Casualty Care Center (C5) at the San Diego Naval Hospital. As a result, the Department of Defense approved funding for the project.
9. Wrote the law to keep felons out of the military. The fiscal year 2013 Defense Authorization Act included my bill to prohibit any individual who is convicted of a felony sexual assault from being issued a waiver to join the military. According to an Army report, soldiers who received conduct waivers were more likely to commit a felony sexual assault while on active duty than soldiers who entered the military without waivers.
10. Passed a bill to help eliminate lead in drinking water. Joined Senator James Inhofe along with nine additional bipartisan co-sponsors to strengthen standards to protect people from toxic lead in drinking water by uniformly reducing the allowable lead content in drinking water pipes, pipe fittings, and plumbing fixtures to nearly zero.
11. Wrote amendments on toy safety to protect children. The first required the same “choking hazard” warnings printed on toy packaging to be displayed prominently on online retail websites or catalogues. The second required manufacturers of durable infant or toddler products to provide consumers with postage-paid registration forms so consumers could be better informed if the product they bought was recalled.
12. Prevented DMVs from disclosing personal information that could be used to stalk or harm drivers. I wrote a bipartisan amendment with Republican Senator John Warner to prohibit any state motor vehicle department from disclosing certain personal information. The amendment passed the Senate and was signed into law as part of the 1994 crime bill and was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
13. Created the Senate Climate Action Task Force. I led the formation of a large group of senators dedicated to taking action to reduce dangerous carbon pollution and address climate change. On March 10, 2014, the Senate Climate Action Task Force had more than thirty senators speak on the Senate floor throughout the night to focus attention on the serious impacts to the country that are occurring because of climate change.
14. Created the first-ever Defense Task Force on Mental Health to address post-traumatic Stress and other wartime psychological health issues. I amended the fiscal year 2006 Defense Authorization bill to create the Defense Task Force on Mental Health, which held public meetings in California and submitted a long-term plan to help the Department of Defense improve the efficacy of mental health services in the armed forces. A Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury was subsequently opened at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
15. Extended essential foster care services to young people between eighteen and twenty-one. My bill to extend essential foster care services to young people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one was incorporated into the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, which became law in 2008. This law helps those young people who want to stay in their foster care homes after the age of eighteen to do so, as many have a hard time being on their own as teenagers. Many were becoming homeless.
16. Spurred new rules to protect airline passengers’ rights. Several provisions from my Passenger Bill of Rights legislation were enacted into law as part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 that ensured that passengers experiencing excessive tarmac delays would have access to food and water, working restrooms, comfortable cabin temperatures, and medical treatment. Airlines are also required to give passengers the option to deplane after three hours on domestic flights and four hours on international flights.
17. Brokered agreement to restore the Gulf Coast after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As chair of the Environmental and Public Works Committee, I negotiated a compromise bill that was co-sponsored by nine of the ten members of the Gulf Coast delegation. The Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast Act of 2011 (RESTORE Act) established a Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund and dedicated 80 percent of all civil penalties paid by responsible parties in connection with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill for projects and activities to restore the long-term health of the coastal ecosystems and local economies in the Gulf Coast Region. It was enacted as part of MAP-21 (HR 4348) on July 6, 2012.
18. Wrote the measure ending taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street. In 2010, the Senate, on a ninety-six-to-one vote, passed my amendment ending taxpayer bailouts by ensuring that Wall Street firms—not taxpayers—pay all the costs of liquidating a failing financial firm. The measure required that any expenses associated with liquidating a failing financial firm be paid for by the sale of the firm’s assets or an assessment on the financial industry. The measure was included as part of the Wall Street reform law signed by President Obama.
19. Fought to pass the Violence Against Women Act. As a member of the House of Representatives, I teamed up with Senator Joe Biden to introduce the original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This legislation, which became law in 1994, has raised awareness about violence against women, increased the number of shelters for abused women, and trained judges, police, and prosecutors on how to deal with violent crimes against women.
20. Wrote an amendment to increase AIDS funding by $30 million. In 2000, I passed a bipartisan amendment with Republican Senator Gordon Smith to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that increased international AIDS funding by $30 million to $255 million, and tuberculosis funding by $10 million to $66 million. The amendment passed by voice vote and was signed into law in November 2000.
21. Wrote the Dolphin-Safe Tuna Label law. As a member of the House of Representatives in 1990, my law required that companies that sell dolphin-safe tuna be able to prove that the fish was not caught with methods harmful to dolphins. The Senate version was sponsored by Senator Joe Biden. In July 2012, I worked with the Obama administration to comply with a World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling regarding the U.S. dolphin-safe tuna label.
22. Passed a bill to name the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in honor of President Bill Clinton. My Federal Buildings Designation Act of 2012 (S. 3304) redesignated the Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C., as the “William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building,” and redesignated the federal building and United States courthouse located at 200 East Wall Street in Midland, Texas, as the “George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush United States Courthouse” and “George Mahon Federal Building.”
23. Created a provision for the conversion of the San Francisco’s Presidio military base into a national park. Representative Nancy Pelosi wrote the House version of the bill. The bill became law after I led the Senate fight to defeat an attempt to sell the Presidio, which would have led to the loss of this historic military site.
24. Defeated an effort to overturn EPA’s endangerment finding on carbon pollution. I led the opposition on the Senate floor to a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval (S.J. Res. 26) that would overturn EPA’s scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. The motion to proceed to consideration of the measure was rejected on June 10, 2010, by a vote of 47 to 53.
25. Honored Malala Yousafzai by expanding scholarships for women in Pakistan. I wrote language to honor Pakistani schoolgirl and advocate Malala Yousafzai. The final fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill included my legislation expanding university scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged women in Pakistan. As a result, USAID committed to provide 50 percent of future scholarships to Pakistani women.
26. Helped secure millions for military burn trauma research. Millions of dollars were needed to support multicenter clinical burn treatment trials that advance the treatment of service members who suffer burns during military service. I received an award from the American Burn Association in 2010 for this work.
27. Spearheaded legislation to protect Peace Corps volunteers. In September 2011, the Senate passed the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, authored by Senator Isakson and me, to honor the slain Peace Corps worker in Benin, West Africa, by providing better security and protection measures for Peace Corps volunteers. It was signed into law by President Obama on November 21, 2011.
28. Wrote a provision that prioritized cleanup of brownfield sites affecting children and vulnerable populations. My brownfields cleanup bill that gives priority in cleanup to sites affecting children and other vulnerable populations was signed into law in January 2002.
29. Established the Manzanar National Historic Site commemorating the infamous relocation camp. I wrote the Senate version of Representative Robert Matsui’s bill to acquire land to honor Japanese Americans who were unjustly interned during World War II.
30. Wrote a bill to permit the use of highway funds to retrofit bridges. My 1994 law ensured the use of funds under the highway bridge replacement and rehabilitation program for seismic retrofit, so bridges could withstand earthquakes.
31. Established the first-ever subcommittee focused on global women’s issues. In 2009, I worked with Chairman John Kerry on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to create the first-ever subcommittee focused on global women’s issues. As chairman of the subcommittee, I’ve held numerous policy hearings and taken legislative action to address challenges facing women across the globe—from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Egypt to Syria.
32. Wrote an amendment requiring the president to determine whether POWs who died in captivity were eligible for the Purple Heart. The fiscal year 2007 Defense Authorization bill included an amendment by Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and me requiring the president to submit a determination as to whether all prisoners of war who died in captivity should be eligible for the Purple Heart. On October 6, 2008, the Department of Defense announced that U.S. soldiers who died in prisoner of war camps as long ago as World War II could receive Purple Heart medals once reserved for troops killed or wounded in combat, which could allow an estimated 17,000 POWs who died in captivity to receive the honor.
33. Expanded research activities of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with regard to cardiovascular diseases in women. I worked with Representative Maxine Waters to pass the Women’s Cardiovascular Diseases Research and Prevention Act, which expanded research and authorized appropriations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with regard to cardiovascular diseases in women.
34. Created a provision requiring new standards for public protection from arsenic. My 2001 amendment established a standard level of safety for arsenic that took into account infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with a history of serious illness. The amendment also lifted the suspension on the effective date for the community right-to-know mailers letting people know how much arsenic is in their water. The amendment passed the Senate ninety-seven to one, and was signed into law as part of the VA/HUD Appropriations bill in November 2001.
35. Wrote an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act protecting children, pregnant women, and seniors. My 1996 amendment sets standards to protect vulnerable populations, including children, infants, and the elderly. It passed the Senate by voice vote.
36. Created recognition for Japanese American World War II heroes. I wrote the law awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Army’s 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. After working to secure the co-sponsorship of two-thirds of the Senate, my bill passed the Senate unanimously and became law in 2010.
37. Worked to secure assistance after California earthquakes. I advocated for federal disaster assistance for California following the Loma Prieta, Northridge, and Napa earthquakes, all of which received a Major Disaster Declaration, which freed up federal funding and helped communities get back on their feet.
38. Wrote a law to allow research into organ donations from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients. In 2013, Congress passed and the president signed into law the bipartisan Boxer–Coburn HOPE Act, which ends the federal ban on research into organ donations from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients and opens a pathway to the eventual transplantation of these organs and could provide life-saving assistance to HIV-positive patients who are at risk of liver and kidney failure.
39. Created a provision to combat child trafficking. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA)—which was passed by Congress in February 2013 and signed into law by President Obama in March 2013—included a provision based on my Child Protection Compact Act (CPCA), a bipartisan bill that would give the State Department additional tools to combat child trafficking, exploitation, and enslavement across the globe.
40. Wrote a provision to improve mental health screening for military members prior to deployment. Senator Lieberman and I amended the fiscal year 2007 Defense Authorization bill to require new guidelines to prevent the deployment of military service members with serious mental health problems.
41. Exposed Pentagon waste. As a member of the House of Representatives in the 1980s, I revealed spare-part overcharges by Pentagon contractors—such as the infamous $7,600 coffeepot—that led to several procurement reforms that saved taxpayers millions of dollars.
42. Secured funding for college entrance and financial aid counseling for low-income and first-generation students. I wrote an amendment that increased funding for the Department of Education’s Upward Bound program that provides tutoring, mentoring, and counseling on college entrance and financial aid applications for low-income and first-generation college bound students.
43. Increased Pell Grant awards to community college students. My 2007 Pell Grant Equity Act was included in the College Cost Reduction Act. This bill eliminated the “tuition sensitivity” clause in the Pell Grant system that had unfairly prevented students who attended community colleges and lower-tuition institutions from receiving the maximum Pell Grant.
44. Worked to protect doctors, nurses, and patients from acquiring life threatening diseases from accidental needle sticks. My Health Care Worker Needlestick Prevention Act was in large measure enacted in late 2000 as part of the Needle Stick Safety and Prevention Act. It requires hospitals, doctors’ offices, and other healthcare providers to use drug delivery methods least likely to cause accidental needle sticks.
45. Worked with the California poultry industry to stop deceptive advertising of previously frozen poultry. In a victory against false advertising, I worked to ensure that previously frozen poultry couldn’t be sold with a label marking it as fresh.
46. Wrote an amendment protecting military children from pesticides. My 2000 amendment prevented the Department of Defense from using pesticides that contain known or probable carcinogens in areas used by children, including parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, day care centers, and base housing.
47. Provided assistance to salmon fishermen. I introduced legislation in 2006 to provide financial relief to salmon fishermen, tribes, and related industries affected by the Klamath River salmon collapse and to support recovery efforts for wild salmon populations in the Klamath River. Assistance totaling $47.2 million was distributed to fishermen and other affected groups.
48. Led the fight to secure passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. As chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I worked with ranking Republican Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma to craft a comprehensive water resources bill. This law authorized $1.3 billion for fifty-four flood control, ecosystem restoration, and navigation projects in California. In my first year as chairman, I successfully fought to pass the act and override a veto by President George W. Bush, and the bill was enacted on November 9, 2007.
49. Wrote a law to establish Pinnacles National Park. On January 10, 2013, President Obama signed my bill to elevate the Pinnacles National Monument to a national park. Pinnacles National Park was the fifty-ninth national park created by Congress and the first since 2004. Elevating this site to a national park has since drawn more national recognition and an additional 90,000 visitors over the previous year to this spectacular piece of California’s natural and cultural heritage.
50. Championed expansion of marine sanctuaries. In June 2011, the Senate Commerce Committee approved my Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act. The bill would protect the entire coastline of Sonoma County and as far north as Point Arena in Mendocino County. On December 20, 2012, the Obama administration announced that it would begin working to expand the Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries administratively.