Boxer retirement leaves California seat open -Republicans Staten island … – Politico

With Nolan D. McCaskill

BOXER RETIREMENT LEAVES CALIFORNIA SEAT OPEN: Sen. Barbara Boxer today announced she will not seek reelection in 2016, setting up an intense race to replace her in the next election cycle.

Boxer has held the seat since 1993. Possible replacements include state Attorney General Kamala Harris and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim write.

“The retirement of Senate Democrats’ top environmental voice will send a seismic shudder through California’s Democratic politics, setting up a wide-open primary for a Senate seat long eyed by the state’s ambitious Democrats,” they write. “The popular Boxer and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein have locked up the two statewide seats for more than 20 years.”

Boxer said it’s time for her to return to the West Coast.

“You know what? I want to come home,” she said today at her weekly presser. “I want to come home to the state that I love so much, California.”

More from Burgess and Seung Min: http://politico.pro/1BQXJbJ

ISSA: SEAT WAS ‘ALREADY OPEN’: Rep. Darrell Issa wouldn’t say whether he plans to run for Boxer’s seat, but he was sharply critical of her tenure in office.

“There’s been a vacancy for two decades,” Issa said near the House floor, according to Jake Sherman. “The fact that she’s not running doesn’t change the fact it’s always been a vacant office.”

When asked if he would run in the solidly blue state, Issa said, “Thanks, guys.”

More: http://politico.pro/1tOfWlM

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was in the dark about Boxer’s news, admitting that she missed a call from her fellow California Democrat. More from Lauren French: http://politi.co/1wymFRF

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who was rumored as a possible replacement, won’t run for the seat. Garcetti announced the decision on social media today. More from Campaign Pro: http://politico.pro/1yGr0rT

REPUBLICANS’ STATEN ISLAND HEADACHE: Alex Isenstadt and Edward-Isaac Dovere have a deep dive into the upcoming New York special congressional election: http://politico.pro/1yGsPVK

WELCOME TO PRO REPORT. On this day in 1656, Abraham Casteleyn began publishing the oldest commercial newspaper in Haarlem, The Netherlands, that is still around today. Send news tips and scoops to lmunsil@politico.com, and follow us @leighmunsil, @NolanDMcCaskill and @POLITICOPro.

POPPING ON PRO: DEMOCRATS PLAN KEYSTONE FILIBUSTER: Democrats intend to set up their first filibuster of the new year as the Senate minority, even though they have for years harangued Republicans for using the identical tactic. They aim to deny Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unanimous consent to open debate on Keystone XL legislation.

A Democratic leadership aide confirmed that Republicans would have to move to cut off debate on a motion to proceed to the bipartisan bill fast-tracking the $8 billion pipeline, setting up a procedural vote late Monday to move to the bill.

Elana Schor, Darren Goode and Burgess Everett report from the Hill: http://politico.pro/1IvXwgm

PLUS, Andrew Restuccia has a look at how the Keystone XL pipeline is on the brink: http://politi.co/1x09Ajb

TODAY’S POLICY NEWS:

SENATE SENDS TRIA BILL TO OBAMA: The Senate passed a bill today that would extend the federal government’s terrorism risk insurance program through 2020 and scale it back over time, Zachary Warmbrodt reports.

The bipartisan TRIA bill, which passed through the Senate on a 93-4 vote one day after passing the House on a 416-5 vote, is expected to be signed into law.

The program was surprisingly allowed to expire on Dec. 31 after a series of year-end disagreements, but extending the program has been a top priority for the business community. Warmbrodt explains: http://politico.pro/1KpWmXl

PENTAGON ANNOUNCES BASE CLOSURES, CONSOLIDATIONS IN EUROPE: The Pentagon today unveiled a new round of base closures and consolidations in Europe to strengthen its hand as it braces itself for another battle with Congress over closing bases in the U.S., Philip Ewing writes.

In announcing the “realignment,” he writes, defense officials wanted to show they’ve already gone after the low-hanging fruit overseas — and now want to try for more much larger savings at home. 

John Conger, who is performing the duties of the assistant secretary of Defense for energy, installations and environment, said the Pentagon has asked Congress for several years to reauthorize the Base Realignment and Closure process, but it has balked.

“Congress has raised several issues with regard to BRAC in the past, one of which was, please look at what your excess is overseas before you start looking at domestic installations again,” Conger told reporters. “This was in part in response to that. … And now we can go back to Congress.”  

More on the military moves: http://politico.pro/1FtpSvq

SONY CASE STATEMENTS COULD CREATE COURTROOM CONTROVERSY: U.S. officials have been emphatic in blaming North Korea for the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack, but the Obama administration’s decision to point the finger at North Korea “could lead to a courtroom spectacle if charges are ultimately filed against someone without ties” to the country, The Associated Press says.

Legal experts say this is why “federal authorities rarely announce that they’ve solved a case before an arrest.”

“Once the government says it has good reason to believe North Korea did it, then that is good reason to believe that the defendant did not do it unless the defendant was an agent of North Korea,” Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, told AP.

More here: http://politico.pro/1xJWiwn

ON TAP FOR FRIDAY:

— President Barack Obama delivers remarks on access to higher education at Pellissippi State Community College in Tennessee.

— The Labor Department and Bureau of Labor Statistics discuss December’s employment at 8:30 a.m. at the IRS.

— Immigration officials hold a conference call to discuss the new Republican-led Congress and related political implications at 1 p.m.

— The Treasury Department and IRS hold a hearing on retirement benefit plans at 10 a.m.

SPEED READ:

— “Survivors Retrace a Scene of Horror at Charlie Hebdo,” via The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/14v9sle

— SCOTUS to meet again on potential gay marriage hearings, from Reuters: http://reut.rs/1DCZhaw

— Honda gets record fine, per Bloomberg: http://bloom.bg/1IvCYV2

Stories from POLITICO Pro

Boxer steps out of the ring

The GOP’s Staten Island headache

Pentagon consolidating more in Europe

Pentagon consolidating more in Europe