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Sen. Boxer Lauded By LA City Council For Long Political Career

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)—  Senator Barbara Boxer was lauded by the LA City Council and Mayor Eric Garcetti Wednesday.

Lauded so much, in fact, CBS2's Dave Lopez called it a "love fest."

On Wednesday, Boxer and fellow California Senator Dianne Feinstein, called on President Obama to create a federal task force to investigate the months-long methane leak at Aliso Canyon.

Lopez spoke to Boxer about the leak, the 2016 presidential campaign and her legacy as a senator.

"I want you to know, I am not retiring," she addressed the council.

The mayor and the council took turns praising Boxer for her career and for helping the people in Aliso Canyon. She believes the task force will be formed.

"It''s going to happen and that this community will get the attention it deserves," Boxer said.

She was asked about the terrorist attack in Belgium.

"I serve on the foreign relations committee," she said, "and we know, every day, that we have to stare ISIS down. But it's going to take a lot of intelligence because that's the best way to prevent these things. Intelligence.  And we need a grown-up president, like Hillary Clinton, who has the experience of anything I've learned today."

Because she's not running for re-election, she said she can become "Barbara Boxer, unfiltered", in her remarks. Lopez asked her about the Donald Trump campaign.

Barbara Boxer
(credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"This honor that I have [been given] today I juxtapose with this horrible sense of almost hatred that I see coming from Donald Trump and Cruz and the rest and it divides us as a people. America is great when we work together. Not when we turn on each other, versus this poisonous atmosphere in the presidential campaign, coming from the likes of Donald Trump."

Lopez asked if she has a preference as to who replaces her in the Senate, and she said "No, no."

She also said she would be very active to help elect Hillary Clinton to the White House.

She also said she was looking forward to being Barbaba Boxer, uncensored.

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