[Senate Document 112-6]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. BARBARA A. MIKULSKI
Barbara A. Mikulski
U.S. SENATOR FROM MARYLAND
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
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Barbara A. Mikulski
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Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Congressman
1977-1987
United States Senator
1987-
a
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Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii....................
105
Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
109
Baucus, Max, of Montana........................
38
Begich, Mark, of Alaska........................
98
Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
87
Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico..................
37
Blumenthal, Richard, of Connecticut............
110
Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
20
Brown, Sherrod, of Ohio........................
80
Cantwell, Maria, of Washington.................
73
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
17
Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
71
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
103
Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
34
Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
33
Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
94
Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
50
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
8, 82
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
35
Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
4
Franken, Al, of Minnesota......................
75
Gillibrand, Kirsten E., of New York............
62
Hagan, Kay R., of North Carolina...............
3, 100
Harkin, Tom, of Iowa...........................
89
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
7, 34
Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
23
Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia....................
49
Johnson, Tim, of South Dakota..................
95
Kerry, John F., of Massachusetts...............
28
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
69
Kohl, Herb, of Wisconsin.......................
108
Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana................
84
Lautenberg, Frank R., of New Jersey............
59
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
102
Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
31
Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut...........
87
Manchin, Joe, III, of West Virginia............
58
McCaskill, Claire, of Missouri.................
106
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
15
Menendez, Robert, of New Jersey................
53
Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland..............
39
Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska.....................
51
Murray, Patty, of Washington...................
43
Nelson, Ben, of Nebraska.......................
110
Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
92
Pryor, Mark L., of Arkansas....................
104
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
78
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
3, 10
Sanders, Bernard, of Vermont...................
96
Schumer, Charles E., of New York...............
45
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
70
Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
56
Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine
...............................................
....
65, 102
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
93
Udall, Mark, of Colorado.......................
99
Udall, Tom, of New Mexico......................
63
Warner, Mark R., of Virginia...................
88
Webb, Jim, of Virginia.........................
94
Whitehouse, Sheldon, of Rhode Island...........
47
Wyden, Ron, of Oregon..........................
82
Proceedings in the House of Representatives:
Tributes by Representatives:
Fattah, Chaka, of Pennsylvania.................
113
BIOGRAPHY
The people of Maryland elected Barbara A. Mikulski to be
their U.S. Senator because she's a fighter--looking out
for the day-to-day needs of Marylanders and the long range
needs of the Nation.
Growing up in the Highlandtown neighborhood of East
Baltimore, Senator Mikulski learned the values of hard
work, neighbor helping neighbor, and heartfelt patriotism.
She often saw her father open the family grocery store
early so local steelworkers could buy lunch before the
morning shift.
Determined to make a difference in her community,
Barbara Mikulski became a social worker in Baltimore,
helping at-risk children and educating seniors about the
Medicare Program. Social work evolved into community
activism when Senator Mikulski successfully organized
communities against a plan to build a 16-lane highway
through Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood. She helped
stop the road, saving Fells Point and Baltimore's Inner
Harbor, both thriving residential and commercial
communities today.
Senator Mikulski is a trailblazer. Her first election
was a successful run for Baltimore City Council in 1971,
where she served for 5 years. In 1976, she ran for
Congress and won, representing Maryland's Third district
for 10 years. In 1986, she ran for Senate and won,
becoming the first Democratic woman Senator elected in her
own right. She was reelected with large majorities in
1992, 1998, 2004, and 2010.
A leader in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski is the dean of
the women--serving as a mentor to other women Senators
when they first take office. As the dean, she builds
coalitions--proving that the Senate women are not solo
acts, but work together to get things done.
Senator Mikulski's experiences as a social worker and
activist provided valuable lessons that she draws on as a
U.S. Senator. She believes her constituents have a right
to know, a right to be heard, and a right to be
represented. She listens to her constituents and makes the
personal, political.
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TRIBUTES
TO
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI
Proceedings in the Senate
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Mr. REID. Mr. President, on Saturday, Senator Barbara
Mikulski becomes the longest serving woman in the history
of the U.S. Congress. We will mark that occasion on
Wednesday when her family and friends will be present here
in the Capitol. I have prepared detailed remarks for that
occasion, but I thought it was important that we note very
briefly here today this milestone in the history of our
country.
Last January Barbara Mikulski surpassed Margaret Chase
Smith from Maine as the longest serving woman in the
Senate. On Saturday, March 17, she will surpass
Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers from Massachusetts as
the longest serving woman in Congress.
Mrs. HAGAN. ... As I take the floor in support of the
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, it is fitting
to recognize one of our fiercest advocates for women's
rights--my colleague and mentor Senator Barbara Mikulski,
who, on Saturday, will become the longest serving female
congressional Member in history.
For more than 35 trailblazing years, Senator Mikulski
has been a strong and unwavering voice for women,
families, and the people of Maryland. She shepherded
through the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which helps ensure that
no matter your gender, race, religion, age, or disability,
one will receive equal pay for equal work. She fought
tenaciously for her important amendment to the health care
reform legislation, ensuring that women's preventive care
would be covered with no added out-of-pocket expense.
I thank Senator Mikulski for her mentorship, her
leadership, and her fierce advocacy for women's rights. I
look forward to continuing to work alongside Senator
Mikulski and my colleagues to promote policies that
support our women, our children, and our families and put
them on a path to a brighter future. The Violence Against
Women Reauthorization Act is central to that goal, and I
urge my colleagues to take up this bill and pass it
without delay.
I yield the floor.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
prayer
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following
prayer:
Let us pray.
O God, who loves us without ceasing, we turn our
thoughts toward You. Remain with our Senators today so
that for no single instance they will be unaware of Your
providential power.
We thank You for Your infinite love that permits us to
make mistakes yet still grow in grace and a knowledge of
You. Lord, save us from any evil course or idle path that
leads away from Your will. Today, we pray for the
President of the United States and for the leaders in
every land. Help them to bear their responsibilities with
honor, and, Lord, today we also thank You for the amazing
career of Senator Barbara Mikulski.
We pray in Your holy Name. Amen.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay
tribute to a public servant, a social worker, and a
tenacious advocate for vulnerable Americans. I rise today
to honor a trailblazer and a mentor for me and countless
others. I rise today to honor an outstanding U.S. Senator
from Maryland and the dean of the Senate women, my friend
Barbara Mikulski.
I am privileged to have represented California in this
body for almost 20 years. When I first ran for the Senate,
back in 1992, I received a call from Barbara Mikulski,
personally urging me on and reaching out to provide
encouragement.
I have relied on her advice, her friendship, and the
Mikulski brand of candor ever since. As a matter of fact,
one of my fondest evenings was a three-onion martini right
down the street.
It is hard to believe, but when Senator Mikulski took
office in 1987, there was only one other woman in this
body, Senator Nancy Kassebaum, later Nancy Kassebaum
Baker, the great Republican Senator from Kansas.
Increasing the number of women in the Senate has been
painfully slow. In 1991, the ranks of women in this body
rose to three, then later to seven after the 1992
election. Today we have 17 women in this body and 76 in
the House. As Senator Mikulski reflected in the Washington
Post last year:
Women were so rare even holding statewide political
office [back then] ... I was greeted with a lot of
skepticism from my male colleagues. Was I going to go the
celebrity route or the Senate route? I had to work very
hard.
And she has. Barbara has worked very hard to become an
outstanding legislator and a trailblazing public official.
Let me list a few of her firsts. She was the first female
Democrat to serve in both Chambers of Congress--that in
itself is impressive--the first female Democrat to be
elected to the Senate without succeeding her husband or
her father; the first woman to chair a Senate
appropriations subcommittee; the first woman to serve a
quarter century in the Senate; and the first woman
elevated to a Senate leadership position.
She is the only current Member of Congress in the
National Women's Hall of Fame. And she is not done yet.
Just last week, Barb achieved another historic first.
According to the Senate Historical Office, she reached
12,858 days of service, becoming the longest serving
female Member of Congress in our Nation's history.
Senator Mikulski was born and raised in Baltimore.
Determined to make a difference in her community--and you
know that well, Mr. President--and guided by her Catholic
belief and a belief in social justice, she became a social
worker, helping at-risk children and educating seniors
about Medicare. She once said, ``I feel that I am my
brother's keeper and my sister's keeper.'' Social work
evolved into community activism when Barb successfully
organized communities against a plan to build a highway
through Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood.
Shortly thereafter, in 1971, she was elected to the
Baltimore City Council where she served 5 years. That was
about the time I was elected to the Board of Supervisors
in 1970 in San Francisco. In 1976, she ran for Congress
and won, representing Maryland's Third District for a
decade. She was then elected to the Senate and has won
reelection in 1992, 1998, 2004, and 2010 by large
majorities.
As I said, Barb is an accomplished legislator. She is
also one of the very best. She cares passionately about
quality education and ensuring every student has access to
higher education. She is a fighter for stem cell research
to cure our most tragic and debilitating diseases. She is
a tireless advocate for the National Institutes of Health.
And she is a leader on women's health, writing laws
requiring Federal standards for mammograms, and a fearless
proponent of breast and cervical cancer screenings and
treatment for uninsured women.
We serve together on the Intelligence Committee. She
asks some of the most prescient questions. I have seen her
commitment to the FBI, to fighting terrorism, and also to
cybersecurity where she headed a task force for our
committee that has resulted in the cybersecurity
legislation newly pending.
Finally, she has led the way to strengthen pay equity
for women. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act is
the law of the land today because of Barbara Mikulski's
effort. As Barb said when we passed the bill:
I believe that people should be judged solely by their
individual skills, competence, unique talent and nothing
else in the workplace. Once you get a job because of your
skill and talent, you better get equal pay for equal work.
Or, in a manner that best captures Barb's candor, she
said, ``Women of America, square your shoulders, put on
your lipstick, suit up, and let's close that wage gap once
and for all.'' To me, that is classic Barbara Mikulski.
Let me close with a story. Every so often at Barbara's
leadership, the Senate women get together for dinner.
There is no agenda or staff, just Republican women,
Democratic women, and a lot of lively conversation. We
talk about our families, we talk about the workplace, we
talk about the world, and, of course, we even talk, to
some extent, about this place. Sometimes we enjoy Senator
Mikulski's world-famous crab cakes, the best you will ever
taste, and second only to the Dungeness crab of the west
coast, I might add. If you have not, make sure you try the
recipe on her Web site. We talk about our families and the
way we can work together. It is a throwback to the
civility of the Senate. These dinners are when Barb really
stands out as the dean of Senate women.
Women in this country have always had to fight for the
most basic of rights. I think young women forget that it
was not until 1920 that we were able to vote in this
country, and it was only because women fought for it. Barb
will be the first to say her milestones are symbols of how
far she has come. But she will also show us how much
farther women have to go.
Today we take it for granted that a woman can be
Secretary of State--we have had two--or Speaker of the
House--we have had one--or a candidate for President. Not
quite yet. Oh, no, I take that back. We have had one. And
one day soon, a woman will sit in the Oval Office of this
great country. When she does, she will owe a great deal to
Barbara Mikulski.
On this day, let the Congressional Record of this Senate
reflect and forever record that Senator Barbara Mikulski
is the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S.
Congress, and this country is forever better because of
it.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I came here to talk on another
matter, but I wish to take a few minutes to talk about my
friend Barbara Mikulski. We have served a long time
together. When she came to this body, I think I may have
been chairman of what was then called the Labor and Human
Resources Committee, now the Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions Committee.
From the day she got on that committee, she made a
difference in every way, not just for women but for every
single American in this country. I have a tremendous
amount of profound respect for Senator Mikulski and what
she has been able to accomplish.
Let me mention one thing. Back in the early 1990s, she
and I worked together on what was called the FDA
Revitalization Act. That act was a very important one,
because we had the FDA spread out all over the Greater
Washington, DC, area, probably 30, 35 different offices,
some of which were in converted chicken coops. It was
ridiculous to have these top scientists in anything but a
centralized location with top computerization and all of
the other scientific instruments they need to do this work
for the American people. I have to say that Barbara
Mikulski played a pivotal role in helping to develop that
tremendous facility. I want you to know that I do not
think it would have been developed without her effort and
her dogged work to make sure that we now have a
centralized--and it still needs improvement but
centralized--FDA campus that literally is saving the lives
of millions of people and making the lives of millions of
people better.
I could go on. I have a lot of respect for my
distinguished colleague from Maryland. I would feel badly
if I did not get up and tell people how much I do respect
her. She believes in what she does. She loves this body,
most of the time, I think. And she cares for her fellow
Senators. We care for her. I want her to know that.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues
in honoring our friend and colleague who is often regarded
as the dean of the women in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski.
Earlier this week Senator Mikulski added to her already
long list of accomplishments the distinction of being the
longest serving female Member of Congress in the history
of the United States of America.
Senator Mikulski's life is a story of the American
dream. Raised in a working-class immigrant family in the
East Baltimore neighborhood of Highlandtown, Senator
Mikulski learned at a young age about the struggles of
working families and ethnic Americans and the value of
paying it forward.
She helped at her father's grocery store, which opened
early in the morning so that steelworkers could buy lunch
before their morning shift. She delivered food to seniors
and families when parts of her neighborhood were set on
fire after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. At
one point she even rode on the top of a tank to deliver
the groceries.
Senator Mikulski's roots helped shape her role today as
a mentor, fighter, and true public servant. She worked as
a social worker for Catholic Charities, helping at-risk
children and counseling seniors on Medicare. She had her
start in politics as a community organizer and social
worker.
In 1970--one side of Barbara Mikulski her colleagues
have certainly seen is her dogged determination--she
organized Marylanders to stop a 16-lane highway project
that would have threatened Fells Point and another
neighborhood in Baltimore. She got the job done. Many
people say that work helped to save Fells Point and the
Inner Harbor, two of the showcase areas in the great city
of Baltimore. She gave a speech at Catholic University to
a Catholic conference on the ethnic American. It caught
the attention not only of people in Baltimore but far
beyond its reach as she talked about her family story and
the story of millions just like her.
One year later, she ran for and won a seat on the
Baltimore City Council--the first step in her now 41-year
career in public service.
Over the course of the Senate's 223-year history, there
have only been 38 female Members; the first, Rebecca
Latimer Felton, of Georgia, was appointed for political
reasons to fill a vacancy, and she served only a single
day in 1922.
Senator Mikulski has so many firsts in her story of
public service. She was the first woman elected to the
Senate in her own right--the first--and not because of a
husband or father or someone who served before her in
higher office. She was the first woman Democrat to serve
in both Chambers of Congress--the first. Last year, she
was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame for
her trailblazing political career, including, with this
recognition today, becoming the longest serving woman
Senator in the history of our Nation.
Given her years of experience, it is no wonder other
Members of Congress have turned to her for guidance, men
and women alike.
I can recall so many meetings of our Democratic caucus
when, after a long debate involving many people saying
many things, Barbara Mikulski would stand and, in a few
terse words, get it right. At the end of the day people
would say, ``That is what we ought to do.'' She has this
insight based on her life experience and her ability to
try to peel through the layers of the political onion and
get to the heart of the issue.
Following the election of a number of esteemed women
into the Senate, a lot of reporters deemed 1992 as the
``Year of the Woman.'' Senator Mikulski's response was so
typical and so right. This is what she said: ``Calling
1992 the `year of the woman' makes it sound like the `year
of the caribou,' or the `year of asparagus.' We are not a
fad, a fancy, or a year.''
That was typical Barbara. Senator Mikulski rises above
and beyond all that. From her first days in the Senate in
1987, she has fought an uphill battle to address the most
important issues of national importance.
First and foremost for her is her family. Next is her
great State of Maryland. She is a fearless advocate, and I
know the Presiding Officer knows that better than most as
her colleague from that great State.
She has supported educational initiatives, veterans
causes, interstate commerce, access to health care and
women's health, and fair pay.
The Chair knows the answer to this question, but some of
those listening to the debate might not. What was the
first bill that the newly elected President Barack Obama
signed in the White House with a public ceremony? It was a
bill Barbara Mikulski pushed hard for, the Lilly Ledbetter
Fair Pay Act, so women going to work all over the United
States--not just in the Senate--would get a fair shake
when it came to the compensation for the jobs they did. It
was President Obama's first bill. When he signed it, the
very first pen he handed over to Senator Barbara Mikulski.
I was there and I saw it.
Championed by Senator Mikulski, the long-awaited and
much needed bill clarifies time limits for workers to file
unemployment discrimination lawsuits, making it easier for
people to get the pay they deserve regardless of race,
age, or gender.
I wish to start here--but I don't know where I would
end--to talk about the important issues she has worked
for. Let me talk about health care for a minute. When we
set out to pass this historic Affordable Health Care Act,
Barbara was assigned the job to make sure it connected
with the families and workers across America in a very
real way, to make sure that at the end of the day we
weren't talking to ourselves or engaged in political
gibberish but passing a law that could literally change a
life for the better. She led that effort and made
invaluable contributions to the substance of that bill.
We knew those provisions would be important and that
they would work because we knew where Barbara Mikulski
came from and we knew where her political heart resides.
While it is a milestone to celebrate Senator Mikulski's
distinction as the longest serving woman in the Congress,
there is a much greater cause for celebration; Senator
Mikulski's decades of service to this Nation is an
admirable feat for any man or woman.
I extend my congratulations to my colleague and friend,
Senator Mikulski for this milestone. Thank you for what
you have done for the Senate, for the State of Maryland,
and for our great Nation.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the hour of 2:30 having
arrived, it is my honor and my pleasure to rise to honor a
patriot, a pioneer, and now the longest serving woman in
the Congress of the United States ever, and that is the
senior Senator from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski.
Barbara and I served together in the House, and we came
to the Senate together in 1986. I remember that day so
well, when we had our first appearance in the Senate as
new Senators. It was quite a moving event for me. But one
of the events I remember about that day is the
presentation of Senator Mikulski.
We all said a word or two, and everything we said will
be long forgotten. But what Barbara Mikulski said, in the
way she has of saying things, will not be forgotten.
Here is this woman who is not even as tall as my wife,
who is 5 feet tall, but she said, ``I slam-dunked Linda
Chavez,'' her opponent. That said it all.
That was the beginning of my working closely with this
good woman. She has been a friend, an inspiration to me in
so many different ways in the time we have served
together. When we got on the Environment and Public Works
Committee, she was here, and I was here. She was always
ahead of me in seniority because of her longer service in
the House. On the Appropriations Committee, for more than
two decades, I was here, she was here. She was always one
ahead of me.
Barbara was the first Democratic woman elected to the
Senate in her own right. Last year, she surpassed the
legendary Margaret Chase Smith of Maine as the longest
serving woman in the history of the Senate. On Saturday,
she officially surpassed Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers
of Massachusetts, who, by the way, served in the House
from 1925 to 1960 as the longest serving woman in the
history of the Congress.
Senator Mikulski's service--and the service of many
female Members of Congress--has paved the way for girls of
today to know they can become Senators, they can become
professional basketball players, and they can be engineers
and doctors. The sky is the place they need to go, and
that is where they believe they can go because of the work
that has been done by Barbara Mikulski.
When I came to the Senate with her, she was the only
woman who served in the Senate as a Democrat. There was
one other woman at the time, a Republican. Now, since
then, Mr. President, I have watched very closely on this
side of the aisle. Now we have 12 Democrats, and if the
elections turn out the way I hope they do--and I am
cautiously optimistic they will--we will have 17 women who
are Democrats in the Senate.
She has been truly a trailblazer. We recognize Barbara's
achievements today and her outstanding record as a
tireless advocate for the State of Maryland. She grew up
in the Highlandtown neighborhood of East Baltimore. She
learned the value of hard work by working with and
watching her dad, especially, open that family grocery
store and work from early in the morning until night. He
sold lunch to steelworkers and other people who came by
that little grocery store.
In high school she was educated by the nuns at the
Institute of Notre Dame. She credits the nuns with
instilling in her faith and a thirst for justice. She went
on to study at Mount Saint Agnes College, which is now
part of Loyola College in Maryland. She earned her
master's degree in social work from the University of
Maryland.
Barbara was a social worker and has always been proud of
the fact that she has been a social worker. She was
employed by Catholic Charities and the city of Baltimore's
Department of Social Services. I can imagine what a dynamo
she was--and she still is. There is no work harder than
being a social worker. The problems one sees and has to
deal with are extremely difficult.
During her years as a social worker, she was a powerful
voice for children and seniors in need of an advocate.
Barbara Mikulski then and now is an advocate. It was there
the spark for service and activism was lit, but it was a
plan to build a 16-lane highway that fanned the flames
that had been lit by her activism.
The highway would have gutted historic Fells Point, a
neighborhood that she believed should have been protected.
It would have uprooted homeowners in a majority African
American neighborhood. She organized the residents of
Fells Point and Baltimore's Inner Harbor and stopped the
construction of that highway.
That is a testament to the power of democracy that she
believes in with all her soul. Looking back on that
triumph, Senator Mikulski said:
I got into politics fighting a highway. In other
countries, they take dissidents and put them in jail. In
the United States of America, because of the First
Amendment, they put you in the U.S. Senate. God bless
America.
She has always been an advocate for the disenfranchised
and disadvantaged in this country, but she has also been
an advocate for dissidents in other countries, of whom she
has spoken so eloquently on so many occasions. Her family
was Polish. She has heard all the Polish jokes, and she
has withstood a little of the ``barbs'' when neighborhoods
were different than they are now. But she took special
pleasure and was so proud of her heritage.
Barbara took a special interest in the plight of Polish
people oppressed under communism. We know in 1980 the
people of Poland started a fledgling little group called
Solidarity--a movement to engage in nonviolent resistance
against communism and in support of social change.
Senator Mikulski and I had the wonderful pleasure of
traveling under the guidance of a trip led by John Glenn--
a world-famous man then and now. It was a wonderful trip
for a couple of new Senators. The Iron Curtain was down,
and it was down hard, but we went to Poland on a codel. I
can remember we had the opportunity to meet with members
of the Solidarity movement. We met in secret with them, in
a secret location, and Senator Glenn talked, Senator
Stevens, then a senior Member of the Senate at the time
spoke, and I said I would like to hear from Senator
Mikulski.
Now, Mr. President, I am not articulate enough to
explain the presentation she made extemporaneously, but
this powerful woman stood and talked about her heritage
and her religion and what that meant to the people of
America and what it should mean to the people of Poland.
It was truly--and I have told her this personally over the
years on several occasions to remind her--one of the most
heart-warming, stirring speeches I have ever been present
to listen to. She spoke to the people assembled there--
there weren't many of them--as a fellow activist. She
spoke as an American of Polish descent and a fellow
Catholic. She spoke as one of them. When that presentation
was completed, everyone knew she was one of them.
It took almost a decade for the Solidarity movement to
strike victory in Poland, and I know Senator Mikulski's
speech was not the reason, but I guarantee you it was one
of the reasons they had the audacity and the courage to
proceed as they did.
Remember, Poland was the only country behind the Iron
Curtain where the Communists could not destroy their
educational system, and that was because of the strength
of the Catholic Church in Poland at that time.
Solidarity's victory in Poland inspired a stream of
peaceful anti-Communist revolutions that eventually caused
the fall of communism entirely all over Eastern Europe.
Barbara's Polish ancestry and the Polish community in
which she grew up in Baltimore were very important to her,
but I never knew it until that moment in Warsaw with those
few members of Solidarity who were assembled to honor us.
Her great-grandmother had come here from Poland with
just a few pennies in her pocket--literally--but she had a
dream of a better life for her and her family. This is
what Barbara Mikulski said about her great-grandmother:
``She didn't even have the right to vote, and in this
great country of ours, in three generations, I joined the
U.S. Senate.''
It was a remarkable feat for her. But, more important,
it was a confirmation of the American dream. For Barbara,
what began as community activism, a fight against a
highway, grew into a successful career in public service.
I want to add a sidenote, Mr. President, and talk about
something very personal to me. When Senator David Pryor
got sick, he was the Democratic conference secretary in
the Senate. That opened up a spot in the Senate
leadership. That was something I thought would be
interesting to me. It was known who was interested in
filling that spot, and I knew Barbara was interested.
I went to Barbara and said, ``Barbara, if you want it,
it is yours.'' Two years later, Wendell Ford decided he
was going to retire. He was the whip. I can still remember
that morning walking from the Hart Building over to the
Russell Building, in that long walkway there, and I saw
Barbara Mikulski. I didn't say a word to her.
She said, ``I want to talk to you. You supported me when
I wanted to be the conference secretary. You want to be
the whip, I am supporting you.'' But for Barbara Mikulski,
I would not have had that leadership position. Once the
Democratic caucus knew Barbara Mikulski supported me, it
was all over. I won. And I won because she came to me, as
she did that morning.
So, Mr. President, my respect, admiration, and love for
this woman is difficult for me to describe, but it is
there. Barbara Mikulski ran for Congress and won after
serving on the city council of Baltimore for 5 years. She
represented Maryland's Third District for 10 years before
winning the seat in the Senate she now holds.
Again, I appreciate all she has done for me--so many
different things she has done for me. As a very able
member of the Appropriations Committee and somebody who
loves this institution, I am in awe of the legislative
record of this amazing woman.
She has been a dedicated representative not only for the
State of Maryland but the State of Nevada. One thing she
did for me--and there have been a lot of them--when we
were new Senators and she was on one of the subcommittees
of the Appropriations Committee concerning veterans
benefits and affairs, as a favor to me she traveled to
Reno, NV, to look at an old veterans hospital. She went
through it and said, ``This is not the way a veterans
hospital should be, and I, Barbara Mikulski, am going to
change it.'' And she did.
Through the appropriations process we renovated and
improved that hospital so it was one of the better
hospitals at the time. So I am grateful for this good
woman, an advocate for parity for women on everything from
salary to health care access. But for Barbara Mikulski the
National Institutes of Health would not have a center for
women. She got a little upset when she learned they had
done a study of the effect of aspirin on people's hearts
and she realized they had tested 10,000 people and they
were all men.
I had a situation that arose in Nevada at about the same
time where three women came to me who had something called
interstitial cystitis, a devastating, debilitating,
painful disease that is described as running slivers of
glass up and down your bladder. It was said to be a
psychosomatic disease. These women had nowhere to go. I
talked to Barbara Mikulski about this, and now 40 percent
of these women have medicine that takes away their
symptoms totally.
I could go on here a long time, as everyone can see. But
I do it because I congratulate Barbara on this milestone,
which is so important to me and the Senate, and to tell
her how much Nevada appreciates her. It is not just for
Maryland. She has done things for the entire country.
I wish her well for years to come.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is
recognized.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, it is my honor to be here
this afternoon to extend, on behalf of the Republican
Conference of the U.S. Senate, our respect and admiration
for the senior Senator from Maryland on achieving this
important milestone.
I am sure she would be the first to tell you that
becoming the longest serving woman in the Congress wasn't
easy. A life in public service is filled with many highs
and lows. But Barbara is nothing if not both tough and
resilient.
Barbara would point to her upbringing as the daughter of
a Baltimore grocer, where she learned first hand how hard
work, honesty, and determination can lead to a successful
and rewarding life. She later learned, while fighting a
freeway that would have destroyed several Baltimore
communities, including her own, that if you fought hard
enough for something you believed in, you too can make a
difference. So if you knew Barbara back then, it wouldn't
surprise you we are honoring her today.
Last year, when Senator Mikulski became the longest
serving female Senator, she said she never saw herself as
a historical figure. To me, Barbara said, ``History is
powdered wigs and Jane Adams and Abigail Adams, both
pioneers in their own right.''
However, Barbara is a pioneer. She is only the second
woman to be elected to both the Senate and the House. When
first elected in 1986, she was only the 16th woman to
serve. Today, in Congress, there are 76 women in the House
and 17 in the Senate. As dean of the Senate women, she
served as a role model and a mentor to many of these
women. To put this in perspective: When she first arrived
in the Senate, there weren't any natural mentors to teach
her the ways of the Senate. At the time, even the Senate
gym was off limits. A lot has changed since then, and
Barbara had a lot to do with it.
Later, as more women were elected to the Senate, Barbara
worked with them to help them understand the Senate and
how best to be an effective Senator, both here and back
home. She wanted to give back.
Most important, regardless of party or issue, Barbara
would push her female colleagues in the Senate to think
differently, encouraging them to think of themselves as a
force--a force of good and, ofttimes, a force for change.
I know many are grateful not only for Barbara's leadership
and courage but for her willingness to take the time to
share her experiences with them. ``I don't want to just be
a first,'' Barbara once said. ``I want to be the first of
many.''
In 35 years, nearly 13,000 days as a Member of Congress,
Barbara has been a champion of the space program, science
research, welfare reform, major transportation, homeland
security, and environmental issues in Maryland.
I wish to recognize Barbara not only for the tremendous
accomplishment as the longest serving female in the
history of the United States in Congress but also for all
of her many accomplishments in the House and the Senate.
As she once said herself, ``It is not how long you serve,
but it is how well you serve.''
I wish to recognize Barbara for the pioneering model she
has been to so many women in her distinguished career.
Congratulations, Senator Mikulski.
Mr. CARDIN. ... Let me first thank all of our colleagues
who are here to pay honor to the senior Senator from
Maryland, Senator Mikulski.
This is March Madness in basketball. Sweet 16 is
starting. We are very proud in Maryland of our Lady Terps.
They are in the Sweet 16. But I want you to know that we
are all getting our fantasy teams, and I want Senator
Mikulski on my fantasy basketball team because she is a
true leader, she understands the importance of working
together, and she is a winner.
We are proud of her roots in Maryland. She is the great-
granddaughter of Polish immigrants who owned a bakery. She
began her public service in high school, where she helped
deliver groceries to seniors who were homebound in their
apartments and she helped the seniors get the food they
needed. She went to the University of Maryland School of
Social Work because she wanted to be a social worker. She
wanted to help other people. She knew that she was good at
that and she could make a difference in people's lives.
She worked for Catholic Charities and dealt with children
at risk and helped seniors with Medicare.
As you have heard from several of my colleagues already,
she gained her reputation by taking on a highway that was
scheduled to be built that would have gone through Canton
and Fells Point, disrupting a neighborhood in Baltimore.
This was a 16-lane highway. It was considered to be a done
deal; it was going to happen. The powers that be said we
are going to have a highway coming through downtown
Baltimore. The powers to be did not know Barbara Mikulski.
That highway never happened. Senator Mikulski stopped that
highway from being built.
She then went on to serve in the Baltimore City Council
with great distinction. Then in 1976 she was elected to
the Congress for the Third Congressional District, a seat
that was vacated by our esteemed colleague Paul Sarbanes,
who then came into the Senate, and Barbara Mikulski
followed in the great tradition of Senator Paul Sarbanes.
In 1986, when Senator ``Mac'' Mathias' seat became vacant,
Senator Barbara Mikulski was elected to the Senate.
She has many firsts: The first female Democrat elected
in her own right to serve the U.S. Senate. At the time she
was elected to the Senate, she was only one of two female
Senators. Today, we have 17 female Senators in large part
because of Senator Barbara Mikulski. I know the Presiding
Officer was part of that expansion. You will hear how
Senator Mikulski was not only a role model and an
inspiration but an incredible help to get more women
elected to the Senate.
Last year we joined in this body to celebrate Senator
Mikulski becoming the longest serving woman in the history
of the Senate, surpassing Margaret Chase Smith from the
State of Maine. Then on this past Saturday, on St.
Patrick's Day, she became the longest serving woman in the
history of the Congress, replacing Edith Nourse Rogers
from Massachusetts who served, as the majority leader
pointed out, from 1925 to 1960.
Marylanders understand longevity records. We are very
proud of Cal Ripken and the record he held in baseball.
Senator Mikulski's, like Cal Ripken's, legacy is what she
has done in office to make a difference, not the length of
her service. She is a fierce and effective advocate for so
many causes. We have heard about her accomplishments in
education and health care, what she has done to advance
sensible health care to improve quality for the people of
this country. That was her mission in the Affordable Care
Act, to make sure that we had the delivery systems in
place that would deliver quality health care, and Senator
Mikulski's leadership was critical in that regard.
She has been a leader in women's health care issues. I
will never forget her reminder to all of us in the caucus:
``Don't forget women's health care issues when you bring
that bill to the floor.'' And we didn't. We put that in
under Senator Mikulski's leadership. We talked about
breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings. Senator
Mikulski has been in the leadership on all those issues.
We in Maryland are proud to be where the National
Institutes of Health is headquartered. Its growth in large
measure has been the result of Senator Barbara Mikulski.
We are proud of HOPE VI and housing. Senator Mikulski has
been in the forefront of that program, making it possible
for many people in our community to have decent,
affordable, and safe housing.
Senator Mikulski has been critically important to
America's space program. I have been with her many times
at Goddard and seen first hand the results of her advocacy
and what it has meant. The Hubble space telescope is
another legacy of which Senator Mikulski can be rightly
proud.
We in Maryland are also proud to house NSA, the National
Security Agency, with its new mission with the
cybercommand located in Maryland. Senator Mikulski, as
Senator Feinstein pointed out, has been one of the real
leaders on national security issues. We can't issue press
releases on this. She is a member of the intelligence
committee. She works behind closed doors to keep us safe.
But we all know that she is one of the key leaders in this
Nation on national security issues.
We know about pay equity and the Lilly Ledbetter law,
the first bill signed by President Obama. It was Senator
Mikulski's leadership that got that bill to the
President's desk, recognizing that we are still not where
we need to be on gender pay equity in America.
In our region, the Chesapeake Bay is central to our way
of life and our economy. Senator Mikulski has been one of
the real champions on water quality and the Chesapeake
Bay. She understands the respect for State and local
government, that we have to work together as a team. I
know the Governor of Maryland, Governor O'Malley, would
agree with me that there is no better friend to the people
of Maryland working with the State than Senator Barbara
Mikulski, getting the Federal Government on the same page
as the State and local governments to get things done for
the people of Maryland. That is true with what she has
been able to do for all of us working across the Nation.
I think the Baltimore Sun put it best when it said:
There is nobody more feisty, more willing to take on big
business, big government, or anyone when it is time to
look out for the interests of her constituents.
I think all of us would agree.
On a personal note, I thank Senator Mikulski for her
friendship, I thank her for being my buddy and my adviser.
Whether she is with Presidents or Kings or the patrons at
Jimmy's Restaurant in Fells Point, you get the same
commonsense, the same down-to-earth person--you get
Senator Barb. We are so proud of her.
Thank you, Senator Barb, for what you have done to make
this Nation a better place to live. Thank you for being
such a role model for young people, especially young
women, to get involved, to make a difference. Thank you on
behalf of my two granddaughters. Their future is much
brighter, their opportunities are much greater because of
you, Senator Barb.
Congratulations. Your colleagues here want to express
our love and respect and admiration for your incredible
service.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Merkley). The Senator from
California.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, what an incredible milestone
Senator Mikulski has reached. The words of her colleagues
and the love they feel for her are coming through. It is a
wonderful thing for me to be part of this tribute. I don't
know how many Senators would have the Governor of their
State here--Your Honor; and the former distinguished,
incredible Senator Paul Sarbanes is here. That in itself,
Senator Mikulski, is testimony to your status among all of
us.
So many of us are here in the Senate because Barbara
Mikulski knocked down the barriers one by one--the first
Democratic woman ever elected to the Senate in her own
right, the first woman to serve in both Chambers, the
longest serving woman in the Senate. Now she has made
history once again. This past Saturday, after 12,858
distinguished days of service, no other woman in history
has served in Congress longer than Senator Mikulski--ever.
Some trailblazers make history, and they are content to
stand proudly alone. ``Aren't I great? I did it.'' But not
Senator Mikulski. She always made clear that she was
honored to be the first Democratic woman, but she never
wanted to be the last.
I will never forget her saying, ``Some women stare out
the window waiting for Prince Charming. I stare out the
window waiting for more women Senators.''
Well, 17 women, Republicans and Democrats, now serve in
the Senate. I know all of us have stories to tell about
how Senator Mikulski helped us along the way, reaching out
to mentor us, encourage us, lead us, and organize our
regular meetings filled with folders and pens and pencils,
and organizing dinners. She and Senator Hutchison teamed
up. We are so fortunate to have them working together. We
get together now and then. Just in the heat of debate, we
sit down and break bread together.
When I considered running for the Senate in 1992,
Senator Mikulski was the very first person I went to see,
after my husband. I was conflicted. I had a good House
seat. I was told I could hold it for as long as I wanted,
and I was not sure I should give it up for the Senate. I
was considered a long shot. Senator Mikulski told me the
following: ``If you run, and I want you to run,'' she
said, ``it will be the toughest thing you will ever do and
the best thing you will ever do.'' And she was right.
Those of us of a certain age have probably seen the play
or the movie ``A Man for All Seasons.'' Today we celebrate
a woman who is truly a Senator for all seasons. Some
Members have passion, others have policy skills, some are
brilliant negotiators, others great advocates for the
least among us, some are very serious students of history,
and others are flatout hilarious. But I do not think our
country has ever seen so many incredible traits combined
in one Senator. Whatever the issue, she will address it.
Whatever the problem, she will solve it. Whatever the
wrong, she will fix it. Whatever the need, she will meet
it. Whenever and wherever people without a voice need a
champion with a keen mind, a sharp wit, and an
unparalleled ability to speak from the heart and get
things done, Barbara Mikulski is there. A lot of us have
been there with her, and we have watched her and we love
it and we marvel at her. And she does it with a sense of
humor that is unparalleled. Anyone who has ever listened
to a speech or interview with Senator Mikulski has heard
her utter these incredible quips, which I fondly called
``Mikulski-isms.''
She has called us women into battle by asking us to go
``earring to earring'' with our opponents. She has
challenged us to square our shoulders, suit up, put our
lipstick on, and fight. She has said often that women do
not want to talk about gender but an agenda that helps
America's families.
When asked by Glamour magazine how she felt about being
named Glamour's Woman of the Year along with singer
Madonna, Senator Mikulski replied, ``She's got her assets,
I have mine, and we both make the best of what God has
given us.''
When asked about the different perspective women bring,
she often says, ``Women, we are not so much about macro-
issues but, rather, the macaroni and cheese issues.'' Who
else could say that better?
When discussing the challenges women face in politics
with a group of female parliamentarians from around the
world, this is what Barbara Mikulski explained to them
when they asked, ``What is it like and is it tough?'' She
said:
Let's put it this way. In an election, if you are
married, you are neglecting him; if you are single, you
couldn't get him; if you are divorced, you couldn't keep
him; and if you are widowed, you killed him.
Then there was one of my favorite Mikulski moments. This
is a treasured moment. The women of the House still hadn't
managed to integrate the House gym, so we were relegated
to this tiny room with old-fashioned, hooded hair dryers
and hardly any room to move. There were very few of us,
and we decided to make the most of it by having an
aerobics class. Of course, coming from California, I
organized it.
In came Geraldine Ferraro, Barbara Kennelly, Olympia
Snowe, Barbara Mikulski, and me. Our instructor started
the class by asking us to stretch our arms way up, and we
do.
Groans.
``Put your hands on your hips.''
More groans.
Now she says, ``Bend from the waist.''
Suddenly, a voice bellows from the back of the room:
``If I had a waist, I wouldn't be here.''
We all turned around to see Senator Mikulski, and we
just cracked up. Needless to say, that was the end of the
aerobics class.
As funny as she can be, I can't think of anyone more
resilient than Barbara Mikulski. I remember when she was
mugged a few years back, one evening outside her home in
Baltimore. A man pushed her to the ground and grabbed her
purse. It was terrifying--for the mugger. He had no idea
whom he was dealing with. At 4 feet 11 inches, Senator
Mikulski fought back and defended herself, just like she
defends the people she represents, just like she defends
women and families, just like she defends equal pay and
equal rights and civil rights and the health care of our
citizens and the dignity of our seniors.
The truth is, the Senate used to be a very lonely place
for women, but Senator Mikulski changed that. From the day
she was first sworn in, she has carried the challenges,
the hopes, and the dreams of millions of women with her.
Barbara Mikulski has inspired generations of young women
everywhere. She has given them the confidence that they
can do it, too, because even as we celebrate this
incredible milestone, I know Senator Mikulski's greatest
hope is that a young girl growing up today will be
inspired to follow in her footsteps and one day to break
her record. When that happens, it will be because Barbara
Mikulski--our dean, our cherished leader, our Senator for
all seasons--opened the doors of the Senate wide enough to
let the women of America walk in.
Thank you, Barbara Mikulski.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I am pleased to stand and
add my experiences with and admiration for Senator Barbara
Mikulski. It is fitting that she is now the longest
serving woman in the U.S. Congress.
When I first got here--I was elected in 1993--Barbara
Mikulski, as the dean of the women in the Senate, had a
workshop the previous year for the newly elected
Democratic women Senators. When I arrived in 1993, she
expanded it to include all new women Senators, and her
sort of opening comment was, civility starts with us.
Surely, she has carried through as the dean of the women
of the Senate to ensure that all the new women get their
bearings in the Senate, that they get the advice of the
ones who have been here before. It has been a huge help
and really a fun opportunity for us to get to know each
other on a personal level as we have our women Senators'
dinners.
From this came a book Senator Mikulski and I worked on
together. The genesis of the book--which became ``Nine and
Counting,'' the nine women Senators who were here in the
year 2000--came from a meeting called by Senator Mikulski
to meet with the women of Northern Ireland, along with the
women of Ireland, when there was so much strife in that
country. Barbara Mikulski called all of the women Senators
together, our nine, to give encouragement and advice to
the women who were trying to bring the people of Ireland
and Northern Ireland together so that there could be a
peaceful conclusion to the conflicts in Northern Ireland.
From that, as we were sharing our stories to show the
women of Northern Ireland how much they could do, from our
experiences and our overcoming of obstacles, Barbara
Mikulski and I sat down and said:
You know, I think we have a book here. If each of the
nine women Senators could write a chapter about our
obstacles and our beginnings in politics and help
encourage other young women and girls to aspire to and be
able to succeed in politics, then we ought to do it.
So we worked with a publisher. We got together and
decided how we would lay it out. We then decided as a
group that we would give all of the proceeds to the Girl
Scouts of America because almost all of us had been a Girl
Scout at one point.
So from that we put a book out, which is still being
sold here in the Senate bookshop called ``Nine and
Counting.'' It has given a lot of money to the Girl Scouts
of America, to a leadership fund so that they can continue
to create girls who will be leaders in our country. That
started with the meeting Barbara put together for those of
us who could maybe give advice and help these women of
Northern Ireland.
When I came into the Senate in 1993, the first thing I
wanted to do was give equal treatment to women who work at
home in their ability to save for retirement as those who
work outside the home. I had the experience, as a single
working woman, of putting aside some money for my IRA, and
then when I married my husband Ray, I found out I could
put aside only $250 in an IRA. I said, ``Wait a minute.
Why would someone working inside the home--a woman who is
probably going to need retirement security more than any
of us--not be able to save for her own retirement security
if she is a married woman?
So I authored the Homemaker IRA, and of course I wanted
to have a Democrat lead because we had a Democratic
Congress. So I asked Senator Mikulski, and she said she
would absolutely sign on--as she always does--when it is
something that is going to benefit women. So it became the
Hutchison-Mikulski bill. I said to Barbara, ``I want this
bill to pass. I don't care if my name is first. I would
love to put your name first if you think that will help us
get it through.'' She said, ``Absolutely not. I would not
take your name off that bill for anything because it was
your idea.'' There are not very many people in this body
who would make that gesture and also put her weight behind
the passage of the bill.
Of all the things I have done and that we have done
together, Barbara, and of all the things that bill is
going to do to affect the most people in our country, now
we have the Homemaker IRA that passed in 1996. That law
allows women--whether they are married and working at home
or outside the home and single or married--to set aside
the same amount. Fortunately, that amount has grown, and
so it is not $2,000, but it can be $2,500 or $3,000 or
$5,000, depending on their age. It is a wonderful thing we
were able to do together.
Senator Mikulski and I also worked on behalf of Afghan
women. When we started hearing the atrocities that were
happening to the women of Afghanistan that were brought
back by great women's organizations, such as Vital Voices,
that told stories of not only unequal treatment of women
in Afghanistan but inhumane treatment of women in
Afghanistan, Senator Mikulski, Senator Clinton, and I
introduced the Afghan Women and Children Relief Act, which
was signed into law in December 2001, which authorized
funding for women in Afghanistan and Afghan refugee women.
Political participation was supported for Afghan women,
and we followed up with appropriations. I have to say our
Republican President, President Bush, and our Democratic
President, President Obama, have always said American
money will go into Afghanistan or Iraq or anywhere else to
support equally the education of girls and boys; that we
would support women where they are not being treated as
equals on a human rights basis. So our Presidents have
stood and, of course, our bipartisanship in Congress has
done the right thing. Again, Senator Mikulski is a leader
in that area.
I cannot think of a stronger supporter in this Senate
than Barbara Mikulski in the area of NASA. I wish to say
Senator Bill Nelson also has been such a strong supporter,
as well as Senator Lamar Alexander, but Senator Mikulski
is the chairman and I am the ranking Republican on the
committee that is appropriating for NASA. We are also
fortunate to have Chairman Jay Rockefeller on the
authorizing and oversight committee for NASA. He, too, has
been such a strong leader in assuring that we continue
America's preeminence in space.
When the rubber hits the road in appropriations, Senator
Mikulski has been there to say: ``We are going to have the
science in the Hubble telescope, which has given us so
much information, as well as the James Webb telescope.''
Now, of course, we have the human space flight issues and
Barbara Mikulski has been right there saying, of course we
are going to utilize the International Space Station, of
course we are going to keep America's priorities in space
because it has done so much for our economy and our jobs
and our technology and our health care improvements, but
it has also been a national security issue that Barbara
Mikulski recognizes, first and foremost.
I cannot match a lot of the stories about Barbara
Mikulski and her personality, but I can tell you I took
Barbara Mikulski to tour the Johnson Space Center in 2001,
and we did a wonderful event at Baylor College of Medicine
to talk about the research that is being done in the
biomedical sciences and on the space station. I thought, I
am going to bring Barbara where we can show her a little
bit of Texas.
We know Texas has a lot of personality and sometimes we
are thought to have a little too much fun, but I will tell
you what, Barbara is one of us. I brought her to the
Houston rodeo. During the month of the Houston rodeo,
everybody is ``Go Texas,'' and everybody dresses Texan,
which means cowboy, and we have a great time. So I took
Barbara Mikulski into the steer auction, where just this
past Saturday a steer was sold for $460,000.
It is a grand champion steer, I might say. All of that
money goes for scholarships for our young people to attend
college.
Barbara came into the steer auction, and she looked
around. There were 2,000 people at the breakfast before
all these people are going to go and bid on the steers so
we can fund scholarships. We were all dressed
appropriately for Texas, and she reached over to my ear
and she whispered: ``Now, Kay, if we were here on Monday
morning and we went to a chamber of commerce meeting, do
these people look like this?'' I love to tell that story
in Houston because it gets huge laughs. She won over
everybody in Houston. They adored her from the beginning.
She put on her cowboy hat, she rode in the grand entry on
a buckboard and she became an honorary Texan in our
hearts. So Barbara Mikulski knows how to win over others.
Let me mention one of my early experiences when I first
came into the Senate. There was an effort to have health
care reform. A program was put forward and this particular
program had some things that were good, but one of the
things in it was that no health insurance coverage would
be required for women to have mammograms if they were 40
or below. I will tell you something, the biggest eruption
in the Senate was Barbara Mikulski saying: ``Are you
kidding? I will not let this go by me in the Senate. We
are not going to say that a woman who is 40 or under is
not going to be eligible for insurance coverage for a
mammogram. It is not going to happen.'' Barbara Mikulski
took the lead, and I am going to tell you, the first thing
that was removed from that plan was that provision, and it
will never be in a plan as long as Barbara Mikulski is in
the Senate. So I am just going to tell anybody who is
looking at health care reform, take a little advice, don't
mess with Barbara Mikulski because we are going to have
mammograms.
Not only that, Barbara Mikulski came forward in the next
month and passed unanimously in the Senate a mammogram
standards bill. During this process she learned that there
were varying degrees of standards of mammography. She was
going to make sure there were standards that every clinic
would have, that every piece of equipment would have and
she led the effort. It is law today.
I will end with yet another accomplishment; that is,
single-sex education in public schools. Senator Jack
Danforth of Missouri started looking at the issue and
said, ``We need to allow our public schools to offer
single-sex education--meaning girl schools and boy
schools--because so many of us have seen that we have to
adapt education for the needs of each individual child to
the best of our ability.'' We know there are so many
wonderful private schools for boys and girls, but we could
hardly have a public school that would be single sex in
this country in the 1990s.
So Jack Danforth started the effort, and when he left
the Senate, I picked it up. The more I looked at it, the
more I saw the benefits to boys and to girls--particularly
in the middle and high school grades--were palpable.
Senators Clinton, Barbara Mikulski, Susan Collins, the
three of them, had gone to all-girls schools. I had not,
but they knew the benefits first hand of single-sex
education. Barbara was the product of single-sex
education, having gone to a parochial school.
I first introduced the amendment in 1998, but it was in
2001--when the four of us came together--that we actually
got the bill passed through an amendment and that
amendment then not only made public single-sex education
an option and legal, it also made it eligible for Federal
funding grants similar to all our public schools.
I wish to say it has been one of the joys of my time in
the Senate to work with Senator Barbara Mikulski, and I
think this 4-foot-11-inch mighty-might has 10 times the
impact. She has made an impact on Congress and an impact
on America because she is relentless, she is reasonable,
she understands an issue, and she understands the
importance of listening as well as talking. She is
effective and she is respected. If there is anyone in the
Senate who doesn't like her, respect her, and work well
with her, I have not met them. When one is the longest
serving woman in the Senate and Congress, they have worked
with a lot of people. She is unanimously so well regarded,
I have never met an enemy of hers.
I will close by saying the people who know her best love
her most, and I cannot think of a finer thing to say about
any person.
Thank you.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, first of all, I wish to say
what a pleasure it is to welcome Senator Sarbanes back. I
had the pleasure of sitting beside him on the Foreign
Relations Committee for 24 years. We miss his judgment and
wisdom. We could use it these days.
I wish to welcome Governor O'Malley. I can't think of a
time, when people have stood up to laud a fellow Senator,
that a Governor of their State is sitting and listening.
All of the comments to this moment and beyond will
undoubtedly echo the remarkable affection that everybody
has for Barbara Mikulski and particularly the high regard
in which she is held.
This is a very special celebration for the longest
serving woman in the history of the Congress, 12,858 days
today and counting. In that time--I recall when I first
came here there was one woman serving, and that was
Senator Nancy Kassebaum--it is fair to say Barbara
Mikulski has been one of the pivotal forces in creating
and assembling what I would call a true ``band of
sisters''--the women with whom she has served in the
Senate, each of whom makes extraordinary contributions to
this institution.
We have heard from other colleagues that her career is
filled with milestones, and it is. She is the first
Democratic woman to serve in both Houses of Congress. She
is the first Democratic woman elected to Senate
leadership. She is the first woman elected to statewide
office in Maryland. These are just a few.
When Barbara came to the Senate in 1987 after 10 years
in the House of Representatives, women were still, as she
describes it--these are her words--``a bit of a novelty''
in the Senate. Indeed, then, it was only Barbara and
Senator Nancy Kassebaum. But now Barbara says, ``We're not
viewed as novelties. We're not viewed as celebrities.
We're viewed as U.S. Senators.''
One of the reasons for that is that Barbara Mikulski has
demonstrated a seriousness of purpose, an ability to
legislate, and an ability to make friends and bring people
together that has defined her role as the dean of the
women in the Senate.
Some of her women colleagues in the Senate call her
Dean. Others call her Coach Barb. But no matter what they
call her, she has brought them together in this bipartisan
sisterhood, as we just heard from the Senator from Texas.
She holds workshops and serves as a mentor to all
newcomers and organizes regular monthly dinners. They
don't always agree on everything, but the dinners are what
some of them have called a ``zone of civility,'' which is
something the Senate could use a little more of these
days. Again, it is Barbara Mikulski's example that helps
point us in that direction.
But for all of her firsts, I would say to my colleagues
that Barbara Mikulski's career has never been about gender
as much as it has been about agenda. I have had the
privilege of working with her enough on different issues
of being what she calls one of her Galahads. I have seen
her laser focus on what is right, on her conscience, on
her gut, on her sense of what the people of Maryland want,
and what she thinks is her duty as a Senator. That is why
I wanted her on the Speaker's platform in 2004 in Boston
at the convention, and she delivered just the right
message in her forceful and commanding way. She stood up
there and declared, ``When women seek power, we don't seek
it for ourselves; we seek it to make a difference in the
lives of other people.''
There is no arguing, as we heard from a number of
colleagues, about what an extraordinary difference Barbara
Mikulski has made in the lives of other people, not just
Marylanders but all Americans. She has been an
extraordinary advocate for the Goddard Space Center, for
the Wallops Flight Facility, and for Johns Hopkins Applied
Science Lab in Maryland, as well as the Port of Baltimore
and Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts.
For decades, she proudly worked beside my colleague of
26 years Ted Kennedy. She loved Ted Kennedy and Ted
Kennedy loved her. Together, on the Health Committee, they
worked to make universal health care a reality. Her role
when Senator Kennedy was sick was an extraordinary role of
picking up that baton and helping to bring it across the
finish line.
Along the way she became a leader on women's health,
fighting for equality in health research and making sure
women get the quality of care they deserve. She was one of
the chief sponsors of Medicaid financing of mammograms and
Pap smears.
Personally, I will never forget how Barbara reacted when
the National Institutes of Health said it would not
include women in trials of aspirin as a preventive for
heart attacks because ``their hormones present too many
biological variables.'' Barbara fired back: ``My hormones
rage because of comments like that.''
Her proudest accomplishment, she says, is the Spousal
Anti-Impoverishment Act, which helps to keep seniors from
going bankrupt while paying for a spouse's nursing home
care. Throughout her career, Barbara Mikulski has fought
to strengthen the safety net for children, for seniors,
and for anyone who needed somebody to stand for them or
push open a door for them.
That fight started in East Baltimore where her Polish
immigrant grandparents ran a bakery and her father a
grocery store. She says she often watched her father open
the doors to his grocery store for local steelworkers so
they could buy their lunches before the morning shift. She
got it in her head at that time that she would rather be
opening doors for others on the inside than knocking on
doors from the outside.
So no surprise, after college she got a job as a social
worker helping at-risk children and educating seniors
about Medicare. She got involved in politics by organizing
community groups to stop a highway from going through the
Highlandtown neighborhood where she grew up. Let me tell
my colleagues, nobody had ever seen anything like her. At
one rally, she jumped up on a table and cried:
The British couldn't take Fells Point, the termites
couldn't take Fells Point, and God damn if we'll let the
State Roads Commission take Fells Point.
As they say on ESPN, the crowd went nuts, and the roads
commission never knew what hit them. And I assure my
colleagues, that was a nonprofane use of our Lord's name.
Again, no surprise, that led to her election to the
Baltimore City Council. I think that explains a lot about
just how good a politician she is--how well she knows the
street. I think every one of her colleagues, all of us,
are in awe of Barbara's ability to focus on the street
emotion, on the simplicity of an argument, and to be able
to sum it up in a razor-like comment that just cuts to the
quick and makes the rest of us who search around for the
words seem pretty inept in the process. Whether it is at
Camden Yards, Fells Point, the Eastern Shore, the
Washington suburbs, or up along the Mason Dixon Line,
Barbara has her finger on the political pulse of
Marylanders. She understands their concerns, shares their
aspirations, and sums up their hopes and their dreams in a
few short sentences that nobody else can parallel.
If anyone expected Barbara Mikulski to accept being just
a novelty or a celebrity in Congress, they obviously had
no understanding of her deep roots as an immigrant, being
an American, and the values she learned about hard work in
her family.
If anyone expects her to slow down just because she is
now the longest serving woman in the history of Congress,
they don't know Barbara Mikulski. A couple of years ago,
Barbara and I talked--I think it was at one of our
retreats--about how similar Maryland and Massachusetts are
in certain ways, especially their rural and fishing
histories which we actually both have.
She told me she wasn't much of a fisherman, but she
liked to hunt. The only problem she cited was the recoil
of the rifle given that she stands 4 feet 11 inches tall.
Well, it is clear from the record, clear from the
comments of all of her colleagues, and clear from this
extraordinary longest serving record in the Congress and
all that she has accomplished that she stands as one of
the tallest Senators and packs a punch way beyond her 4
feet 11 inches.
We are proud to have her as a colleague, and we are in
awe of her ability to galvanize action, which is what this
institution should be all about.
Mr. LEVIN. When you read over the long list of Senator
Barbara Mikulski's accomplishments, one word keeps coming
up, ``first.'' First woman to be elected to the Senate
from Maryland, first woman of her party to serve in both
the House of Representatives and in the Senate, first
woman to serve in the Senate leadership. Today we gather
to honor Senator Mikulski, who in addition to her many
firsts, now stands as the longest serving woman in the
history of the Congress.
Senator Mikulski began her service in Congress in 1977,
and in all her time here since, she has championed the
causes dearest to her--causes dear to the needs of her
constituents and to our Nation's most vulnerable citizens.
As chairwoman of the Children and Families Subcommittee,
Senator Mikulski has been a determined champion of the
young, the old, and the sick. She has fought for access to
higher education for every child because she believes ours
is a nation where every young boy and girl should have the
chance to reach his or her true potential. She has fought
for secure pensions for seniors because she believes ours
is a nation where, after a lifetime of work, every person
should have the chance to enjoy their retirement. And she
has fought for preventive screening and treatment for
every woman because she believes ours is a nation where no
one should lose a mother, daughter, or wife from a
preventable illness.
As chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator
Mikulski has led the charge to promote economic
development, equip our first responders, and invest in
science and research. Senator Mikulski understands the
importance of the private sector, particularly small
businesses, in creating job opportunities. That is why she
has fought for legislation making it easier for businesses
to make investments and hire new workers. No one has
fought harder to support our emergency first responders
than Barbara Mikulski, who said, ``We must protect our
protectors with more than just words--we must protect them
with the best equipment, training and resources.''
Senator Mikulski is also committed to the promotion of
scientific research and laying the groundwork for
maintaining U.S. leadership in the area. She has advanced
legislation to substantially increase the number of
students earning degrees in science, technology,
engineering, and math.
As a Senator from Maryland, Senator Mikulski understands
the importance of the Federal workforce. Many of her
constituents are responsible for the high quality of life
many of us take for granted every day. Whether it's food
inspectors, air traffic controllers, or medical
researchers, many Marylanders who make up the Federal
workforce contribute to our Nation's health and safety.
Fortunately for them, and the rest of us, they have a
powerful advocate in the Senate. Senator Mikulski said,
``I want every Federal employee to know I am on their
side.'' Indeed she is--not only because it is in the
interests of her State, but because she knows well that an
effective Federal workforce is in the interests of every
citizen in every State. Throughout her career, Senator
Mikulski has fought off misguided efforts to privatize
essential functions of the Federal workforce, and fought
for fair pay and benefits for these committed public
servants.
Fair pay has been a focus for Senator Mikulski, and
women across the country can be grateful for that. In
2007, the Supreme Court considered the case of Lilly
Ledbetter, a woman who for nearly 20 years had been paid
less than her male coworkers for equal work. In its
decision, the Court ruled that Ms. Ledbetter could not
proceed with her case, not because it had no merit, it
did; but because of a technicality. Once the Supreme Court
rules against you, where can you turn? Just ask Ms.
Ledbetter; she will tell you. Senator Barbara Mikulski
introduced the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act to
address the flawed Supreme Court decision; and on January
29, 2009, it was signed into law.
In the Book of Genesis, the first question asked of God
is ``Am I my brother's keeper?'' Senator Barbara Mikulski
has spent a lifetime and built a career in answer of that
question. She said:
I feel that I am my brother's keeper and my sister's
keeper. I think that's why I am shaped by the words of
Jesus himself: ``Love thy neighbor.'' And I took it
seriously.
The Senate is better off because she did. The people of
Maryland are better off. Our Nation is better off. I am
grateful not just because she has become the longest
serving woman in the history of Congress, but because she
has served her Nation so well.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I wish to offer my
heartfelt congratulations to my esteemed colleague and
dear friend, Senator Barbara Mikulski, on becoming the
longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress.
This milestone, reached on March 17, marks 12,858 days--
more than 35 years--of dedicated service to her beloved
State of Maryland and to our Nation.
A little more than a year ago, in January 2011, Senator
Mikulski began her 25th year in the Senate, surpassing my
personal role model in public service, Senator Margaret
Chase Smith, the great lady from Maine. Adding in her 10
years in the House, Senator Mikulski now establishes the
record for longevity in either Chamber, set by
Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers, who represented
Massachusetts but was born in Maine.
For me, the special meaning of this occasion goes far
beyond such coincidences. Just as Congresswoman Rogers and
Senator Smith inspired young women in the past to lives in
public service, Senator Mikulski inspires the young women
of today. As a new Senator in 1997, I was welcomed by her
kindness and helped by her wisdom. She taught me the ropes
of the appropriations process and instituted regular
bipartisan dinners for the women of the Senate.
It has been a privilege to work with Senator Mikulski
for 15 years. During that time, I have come to know her as
a fighter and a trailblazer.
Senator Mikulski is, above all, a hard worker. Growing
up in East Baltimore, she learned the value of hard work
at her family's grocery store. Her commitment to making a
difference in her neighborhood led her to the path of
service, first as social worker, then as a city councilor
and as a Member of Congress.
Senator Mikulski's longevity is only the preface to her
story of exceptional accomplishment. She has fought for
increased access to higher education for our young people
and for improved health care for our seniors. I am proud
to have fought at her side on those issues, as well as for
increased Alzheimer's research, improved women's health
care, and enhanced educational opportunities for nurses.
As House colleagues during and after World War II,
Margaret Chase Smith and Edith Nourse Rogers were
instrumental in achieving full recognition for women in
uniform. Senator Mikulski carries on that legacy as a
determined advocate for all who serve our country. Working
with her on the Appropriations Committee, I have witnessed
first hand how seriously she takes her responsibility to
the American taxpayers.
Throughout her life in public service, Senator Mikulski
has lived by one guiding principle: to help our people
meet the needs of today as she helps our Nation prepare
for the challenges of tomorrow. It is an honor to
congratulate Senator Barbara Mikulski for her many years
of service, and to wish her many more.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, it is heartwarming to see
such a spontaneous outpouring of respect and appreciation
for the distinguished Senator from Maryland, Ms. Mikulski.
It is certainly well deserved.
She is one of the hardest working and most effective
Senators serving in the Senate today. It has been a great
pleasure working closely with her on the Appropriations
Committee.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to
our dear friend and colleague, the senior Senator from
Maryland, Barbara Mikulski. This week, Senator Mikulski
became the longest serving woman in the history of the
U.S. Congress. That is quite a milestone, and I want to
congratulate her on her many years of devoted service to
the people of her home State.
Senator Mikulski is a Maryland native. Descended from
Polish immigrants, she was born and raised in Baltimore.
She attended college at both St. Agnes College in
Baltimore and the University of Maryland.
After several years of working as a social worker in the
Baltimore area, Senator Mikulski began her political
career in 1971 when she was elected to the Baltimore City
Council. She served there for 5 years before running for
Congress in 1976. For 10 years, she represented the Third
Congressional District of Maryland. Then, in 1986, she was
elected to serve here in the Senate.
Although the milestone we are recognizing today is a
significant one, it is not the first for Senator Mikulski.
Indeed, throughout her time in the Senate she has been a
pioneer for women in public service.
For example, Senator Mikulski was the first woman
elected to statewide office in Maryland. She was also the
first Democratic woman elected to a Senate seat that was
not previously held by her husband. And, she was the first
woman to serve in both the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
I have known Senator Mikulski a long time, having served
with her in the Senate for over 25 years now. While she
and I have often found ourselves on opposite sides of many
issues, I have long admired her commitment to her
principles and, most important, her devotion to the people
of her home State. Indeed, she has been a stalwart and
oftentimes fierce advocate for the interests of
Marylanders.
I want to congratulate Senator Mikulski on this
important milestone, and I am grateful for this
opportunity to pay tribute to her and to her many years of
public service.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I greatly appreciate having
this opportunity to join my colleagues in expressing our
congratulations to Barbara Mikulski as she reaches another
great milestone in her career of service to the people of
Maryland in the U.S. Congress.
Senator Mikulski is now the longest serving woman in the
history of the U.S. Congress. Although outstanding in and
of itself, it is an achievement that represents far more
than the number of years she has served in the Nation's
Capital. It is also a testament to her outstanding public
service and her commitment to our future that has made it
possible for her to help to make our great Nation both
stronger and more secure.
Back home, Senator Mikulski's constituents have come to
appreciate her more and more as they have seen how hard
she works to represent them every day. That is why they
always come out in such great numbers every election day
to make sure she will continue to do so. They can see the
difference she has made all around them, and they
appreciate the way she has made their cities and towns
better places to live.
I have often heard Senator Mikulski referred to as the
dean of the Senate women, a title she has earned that was
conferred upon her with the great admiration, affection,
and appreciation of those with whom she has served. Over
the years so many of them have acknowledged the difference
she has made in their lives with her support, her
encouragement, her guidance, and her direction. She has
been such a great mentor to them because she has always
led the best way--by example. It is another mark of
distinction that has come to her as, each day, she has
helped to write another chapter of the history of Maryland
and this great Nation of ours.
Looking back, she has played an active role in a long
list of changes that have come to our country over the
years. Because she has been at the forefront of so many of
them she has been a role model not only for those with
whom she has served, but for those who have been watching
her in action back home. I have no doubt, in the years to
come, many more women will serve in the House and the
Senate who will credit Senator Mikulski for first giving
them the idea of serving in the Congress. Her own record
of success then assured them that it would be possible for
them to do the same if they were willing to work hard and
take their case to the people for their consideration.
In the end, that is what our service in the Senate is
all about--doing everything we can so that the current
generation will have the tools they will need to succeed
and then take their place as the next generation of our
Nation's leaders. Thanks to good people like Barbara
Mikulski the people back home know that someone cares. She
has given them a voice and it is heard clearly whenever
she takes to the Senate floor to make their concerns
known.
I have often heard it said that the meaning of public
service is found in the definition of the word
``service.'' That is why we are taking a moment today to
thank Senator Mikulski for putting her principles and her
beliefs into action all these many years for her beloved
Maryland and the United States of America. If I may
paraphrase the words of Abraham Lincoln, it isn't so much
her years of service that matters so much as the service
of her years. Through the years she has made a difference
in so many ways that will be long remembered and
celebrated.
Congratulations, Barbara. You are setting a record pace
here in the Senate. From this day on, you will be setting
a new record every day. Thank you for your service, but
most of all, thank you for your friendship. Diana and I
have appreciated having the chance to come to know you and
to work with you.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today in tribute to
Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who has just become
the longest serving woman in Congress, and to applaud the
pioneering role that she has played in the evolution of
the Senate.
Things have certainly changed since 1986, when Senator
Mikulski was elected to the Senate. When Senator Mikulski
joined the Senate as the first Democratic woman elected in
her right as opposed to filling the term of a spouse, the
Senate looked very different. There was only one other
woman Senator, Nancy Kassebaum, a Republican from Kansas.
The Senate had just begun to televise its proceedings the
year she was elected. And, obviously, there were no women
in leadership positions in the Senate.
Senator Mikulski set out to change all that. She became
the first woman in the Democratic leadership. She became
the first woman to serve on the Appropriations Committee.
And then she became the first woman to chair the Senate
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittee.
Things certainly have changed. Now, in the 112th
Congress, there are 17 women, both Republican and
Democrat, in the Senate overall. There are seven women on
the Appropriations Committee alone. Five women chair
Senate committees. Women have had significant roles in
both the Democratic and Republican Senate leadership.
While all of these changes were clearly not solely a
function of Senator Mikulski's pioneering leadership, she
blazed a trail as bright and as wide as anyone could
possibly hope for. With her impassioned speeches, her
plain-spoken delivery, and her commitment to fairness and
justice, Senator Mikulski could not be ignored or
pigeonholed. She stood up for what she believed in, and
she would not allow her voice to be silenced.
Senator Mikulski cared deeply about health care issues,
and women's health in particular. When she learned that
many federally funded research protocols did not include
women, she led the fight to insure that would never happen
again. She established the Office of Women's Health at NIH
to ensure women would always have a voice in critical
health issues.
One of her proudest accomplishments was working to pass
the spousal impoverishment law, which changed the rules
that forced elderly couples to spend all their assets and
give up their home before the Government would help one
member of the couple pay for a nursing home.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Senator
Mikulski's efforts on behalf of her beloved State of
Maryland. From the crabbers of the Chesapeake Bay to the
steelworkers at Sparrows Point to the scientists at
Goddard to all the other families all across the State, no
one has worked harder to give them a voice on Capitol Hill
than Barbara Mikulski. On this historic day, I wish her
the best, and I know that as long as she is a U.S.
Senator, she will never stop fighting for what she
believes is right.
Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, we mark March as Women's
History Month, as a time of year for us to remember the
valiant female leaders of our great Nation. One of them is
very special to Montana. In 1916 Jeannette Rankin was the
first woman elected to the U.S. Congress, 4 years before
women were granted the right to vote.
As a Member of the House of Representatives, her daring
and vocal stance on controversial issues such as war and
peace brought critical recognition from the press. In
every situation, the strength of her values persisted,
even under the pressures of unanimous opposition to a war
with Germany. Jeannette Rankin said, ``I may be the first
woman Member of Congress, but I won't be the last,'' and
helped to pave the way for future generations of women
leaders.
This past Saturday, March 17, 2012, marked a monumental
day in American history. The Senator from Maryland, Ms.
Barbara Mikulski, celebrated her 35th year in the U.S.
Congress.
That important accomplishment is a milestone for
American culture and female leaders in Congress. Senator
Mikulski is now the longest serving female in the Senate
and in the history of the U.S. Congress. She spent her
first 10 years in the House of Representatives, followed
by the next 25 years here in the Senate. She has worked
every day to make America a better place for the next
generation.
When Senator Mikulski began her work in the House of
Representatives, there were 18 female Members of the House
and 3 female Members of the Senate. When she began her
first term in the Senate, there were 23 female Members of
the House and only 1 other female Member of the Senate.
Now, she is a leader among our 17 female Senators and 76
female Members of the House of Representatives.
Her strong sense of community and instinctive nature
pertaining to the needs of Americans is exemplified by her
action-oriented attitude. Even before her tenure in
Congress, as a social worker for the people of Maryland,
Ms. Mikulski was active in local issues in and around the
Baltimore area and worked to help at-risk children and
seniors. She continues working passionately to address
those issues throughout her tenure in Congress.
Her advocacy for justice and contributions to social
issues are evident with her work to fight for women's
rights and improved access to health care, to better
education, and to volunteering and national service
opportunities. She offers tremendous leadership for the
Senate both as the chairwoman of the Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and
Aging, and as the chairwoman of the Appropriations
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies.
Like Jeannette Rankin, Senator Mikulski has been a
leader and an exemplar for strong and courageous women
leaders in America.
Senator Mikulski gets things done, and I have enjoyed
our friendship during our work together in the Senate. Her
brave spirit is one that sets the bar for new and incoming
Senators, both male and female. I congratulate Senator
Mikulski on her special day and I look forward to
continuing our work in the Senate together.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, first of all, let me say I
am enormously touched and gratified by the warm words my
colleagues have spoken on both sides of the aisle. I am
particularly moved by the fact of the men of Maryland who
are here today. I am moved by the wonderful words of
Senator Cardin, my colleague. I am moved as well that
Governor O'Malley is here today.
When I came to the Senate, Senator Paul Sarbanes was my
senior colleague, and he is here today as well. Governor
O'Malley and Senator Sarbanes are on the bench, but these
men are certainly not back benchers. I must say about the
Governor and Senator Sarbanes and Senator Cardin, they
prove the old adage that men of quality will always
support good women who seek equality. I have enjoyed their
support, their wise counsel, and their collegial efforts
on behalf of the people of Maryland during my years in
Maryland politics.
It is a great honor to be here today passing this
significant benchmark of becoming the longest serving
woman in the history of the Congress, both in the House
where I served for 10 years, and in the Senate. It is a
great honor for me to be able to pass into the history
books along with such an esteemed person as Senator
Margaret Chase Smith. We spoke about that in January 2011
when I was sworn in. There were tributes that day and
wonderful words from our two women Senators from Maine.
Today--actually over the weekend--I surpassed the record
of Edith Norse Rogers who was the longest serving woman in
the House. Both of those women came from New England. They
were both hardy, resilient, and fiercely independent. I,
as I have read their histories, so admired them. They were
known for devotion to constituent service, an unabashed
sense of patriotism, and kind of telling it like it is. I
hope that as I join them in the history books. I can only
continue with the same spirit of devotion to duty and that
fierce independence and patriotism.
I didn't start out wanting to be a historic figure. To
the question, ``What do you want to be when you grow up?''
you don't say, ``I want to be a historic figure.'' When I
was growing up, it was about service. For me, it is not
how long I serve, it is not about history. For me, history
books were Jane Adams and Abigail Adams and powdered wigs.
I just welcome a day when I have time to even powder my
nose, let alone powder my wig. But the fact is, when I
grew up, I wanted to be of service. I learned that in my
home, in my family, in my community, and with the
wonderful nuns who taught me.
Today my colleagues have spoken about my wonderful
mother and father. I had a terrific mother and father. I
am so happy my two sisters and my fantastic brothers-in-
law are joining me today. I only wish my mother and father
could be here with me because they worked so hard to see
that my sisters and I had an education at significant
sacrifice to them. They were really wonderful people where
others saw them in a life of business. Every day my father
would open his grocery store and say, ``Good morning, can
I help you?'' When he did, he wanted to assure that his
customers got a fair deal.
My father opened his grocery store during the New Deal
because he believed in Roosevelt and because, as my father
said, ``Barb, I know Roosevelt believed in me.''
I also had the benefit of the wonderful Catholic nuns
who educated me. I had the benefit of going to a school
called the Institute of Notre Dame and then Mount St.
Agnes College, the Sisters of Notre Dame and the Sisters
of Mercy. These women, who concentrated their lives on the
message of Christianity and the message of Jesus Christ,
wanted to make sure that women in America could learn and
be a part of our society. They didn't only teach us our
three Rs, they taught us about leadership and service.
They also taught us about other values--the values of love
your neighbor, care for the sick, worry about the poor,
and be hungry and thirsty for justice.
When I was at the Institute of Notre Dame, a school that
Nancy Pelosi went to as well, there was something called
the Christopher movement after St. Christopher. The motto
was, ``It is better to light one little candle than to
curse the darkness.'' That is what I wanted to do. I
wanted to be a social worker. I even thought about being a
doctor. One time I even thought about being a Catholic
nun, but that vow of obedience kind of slowed me down a
little bit.
In this country wonderful things happen. When my great-
grandmother came to this country, she had little money in
her pocket but a big dream in her heart: that she could be
part of the American dream, that she could own a home in
her own name, in her own right; that she could have a job
and so could the people in her own family; and that based
on merit and hard work you could be something. Well, in
three generations, I have become a Senator. Only in
America the story of my family could have occurred--modest
beginnings, hard work, effort, neighbor helping neighbor.
Much has been said about my fight for the highway. I was
thinking about getting a doctorate in public health at
Johns Hopkins. But they were going to run that highway
through the neighborhoods, the older ethnic neighborhoods,
the African American neighborhoods. We were viewed in some
of those neighborhoods as the other side of the tracks. I
wanted to fight to keep those neighborhoods on track. So I
took on city hall, and I did fight them.
In this country, what happened? In another country, they
would have taken a protester like me and put me in jail.
Instead, in the United States of America, they sent me to
the city council. I worked hard there, and 5 years later,
when Senator Paul Sarbanes, who was a Congressman, ran for
the Senate, I ran for his House seat, and I got the job.
When I arrived in the House in 1976, only 19 women were
serving: 14 Democrats and 5 Republicans; only 5 women of
color. In 2012, there are 76 women in the House: 50
Democrats, 24 Republicans; 26 women of color. In the
Senate, there are now 17 women serving: 12 Democrats, 5
Republicans. Today, we saw visiting us Senator Carol
Moseley-Braun, a woman of color who served well while she
was here.
Those are the numbers and those are the statistics. And
though I join this long number of firsts, for me it is not
how long I have served but how well I have served. When I
came to Congress, I became a Member for the fabulous Third
Congressional District of Maryland. My job was to
represent a blue collar community that was in economic
transition. What did we do? We were a community that built
things here so we could ship them over there. We built
cars. We built ships. We made steel. We knew if a country
did not make something and build something, it could not
make something of itself.
I fought for those blue collar people. I fought to keep
those jobs in manufacturing. We fought for the Port of
Baltimore, its dredging, so we could bring in the big
ships so we could have exports. We worked again for those
people in those manufacturing areas while we saw jobs go
overseas. Then we worked very hard for cities to make sure
our cities were safe, that we had great schools, and that
they had a chance of making it.
I fought hard for health care. One of my greatest pieces
of legislation was the Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act, so
that if one spouse went into a nursing home, the other
spouse would not have to spend down their life's savings
and lose their home. AARP tells me my legislation of so
many years ago, that stands today, has kept 1 million
people from losing their home or their family farm.
Those were the battles then. Those were the battles when
I changed my address and I came to the Senate. Although I
changed my address, the battles are still the same: jobs,
social justice, opportunity based on hard work, peace in
the world, and I continue to fight for this.
But for me, it is not only about issues. Issues are so
abstract. Issues can be so bloodless when we talk about
them. For me, issues are about people--the people I
represent in my own hometown, the people I represent in my
State, and the people who live in the United States of
America.
My favorite thing is being out there talking to the
people, going into diners, going table to table, listening
to their stories, holding roundtables with parents whose
children have special needs, meeting with scientists who
have discoveries they think will lead to new ideas and new
products that will bring new jobs, meeting with
universities that train our workforce. For me, it is about
the people.
So as I pass this important benchmark, which I am so
honored to do, I want people to know I am still that young
girl who watched her father open that grocery store every
day and say: ``Good morning. Can I help you?'' I am still
that young girl who went to the Institute of Notre Dame
and Mount St. Agnes College who said:
I am going to light one little candle. I do not want to
curse the darkness. I want to continue to fight for a
stronger economy, a safer America, the people of Maryland.
In conclusion, I want to say thanks. I am going to thank
the Dear Lord for giving me the chance to be born in the
greatest country in the world, to be able to work hard and
serve in one of the greatest institutions in the United
States of America. But nobody gets to be a ``me'' without
a whole lot of ``thee.''
I thank my family. I thank the religious women who
educated me. I thank all of my staff who have worked so
hard to help me do a good job. And I thank the countless
volunteers who believed in me and worked for my election
when nobody else did. Most of all, I thank the people of
the Third Congressional District and the State of Maryland
for saying: ``Barb, we are going to give you your shot.
Don't ever forget this. Don't ever forget us.'' I want
them to know, though I have now served in the Senate
12,858 days, I will never forget them. Every morning I am
saying in my heart, ``Good morning. Can I help you?''
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am so honored to join so
many of my Senate colleagues and people from Maryland and
across this country in recognizing and congratulating the
amazing woman you just heard from, my good friend from
Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, who, as you have just
heard, has just become the longest serving female Member
of Congress in the history of the United States.
This is an achievement that takes courage, it takes
passion, and it takes commitment. Those are three
attributes all of us who know her so well know she has in
abundance. But my good friend, Senator Mikulski, has not
just served long, she has served well.
The senior Senator from Maryland, over her 35 years in
Congress, has established herself as a trailblazer, as a
leader, and as a fighter for the people of her State. It
is fitting that this milestone was reached during Women's
History Month because Senator Mikulski has given so much
of herself in support of other women in Congress. She has
guided us, she has shown us how to stand and fight, and
she has taken all of us under her wing.
Senator Mikulski realized when she arrived here that
there was no rule book for women in Congress. So she took
it upon herself to guide the way. She drew on her own
experiences to make the transition easier for all of us.
She organized seminars that you have heard about. She
taught us how to work together. She taught us about the
legislative process, the rules on the floor, and the many
more subtle rules off the floor.
In short, Senator Mikulski showed us the ropes, and she
has done it every day I have been here for all the women
who have come since she has been here. While she knows it
is important and courageous to lead the charge, she also
understands the first ones have to be responsible and
successful so others can follow. It is because Senator
Mikulski has done her job so well that other women have
been able to follow in her footsteps.
She is here today as the longest serving woman in
Congress, not by accident or by happenstance. She is here
because she has earned it, because the people of her State
know she is an indispensable champion of their causes,
because she does work across party lines, and because she
delivers results.
I know many years from now when women have achieved a
larger, more representative role in our Nation's Capital,
Senator Mikulski will be at the very top of the list of
people to thank--the person who not only forged the path
but who went back and guided so many of us down it.
I know many of my colleagues are on the floor today to
thank Senator Mikulski. But I am here especially to thank
her, as one of those women who have followed in her
footsteps, for her more than 35 years of service to her
State and to her country. Those of us who know her well
know she is not even close to being finished.
So, Mr. President, my very best to my very good friend,
Senator Mikulski. I wish her very well in her next 35
years.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President I too want to speak of my
dear friend Barbara Mikulski, who is just precious. She is
precious to her family. She is precious to the people of
the Third Congressional District that she represented for
10 years. She is precious to the people of Maryland,
precious to the people of the United States, and precious
to those of us who have the privilege of serving with her
in this body.
She has been affectionately known as a few things: The
dean of women; the breaker of the ceiling, as Patty Murray
just said; setting the stage, setting the rule book--
writing the rule book--for women in the Senate.
There will be 51 women in the Senate one day--there will
be--and it will come much more quickly because Barbara
Mikulski was the first. There is no question about that.
The Senate will be a better place for it in so many
different ways.
She is also not only known as the dean of women. We love
her. She is known as Barb. I love calling her on the phone
late at night and having her say: ``This is Barb. Please
call me. Make sure you say the words and leave your phone
number twice.''
Of course, when Barb says something, we all do it. So I
always leave the phone number twice.
I admire so much about her. One of the things at the top
of the list is who she is. She is the real deal. She knows
where she came from. She has never forgotten where she
came from. As I have told her personally, she has that
internal gyroscope of who she is, what she should do, and
how she should do it that guides her almost instinctively,
and it is probably the most precious thing a politician
can have. Not very many people have it, but hers is about
the best I have ever witnessed.
It started from her upbringing and her faith, which she
mentioned. We have talked about Willy. She has mentioned
Willy. But you never forget how she reminds us because it
is with her, and you can see it in her actions every day--
how when people would come into the store that Willy had,
the grocery store in East Baltimore, when they had lost
their job or someone was very sick and Willy would say:
``Take the groceries and pay me later.''
It reminded me of my grandfather Jake--we have talked
about this--who was an exterminator, not quite the same as
Willy and not providing the same services, but he would
tell people: ``If you have roaches and rats in your house
and you can't pay, I will still exterminate. Pay me when
you have the money.'' So I understood that instinctively.
I would have loved Willy to have met my grandfather Jake
because I am sure they were kindred souls in a lot of
ways. And the guidance of Willy and Barb's mom--you can
see it every day in the way she acts.
I just want to say another thing about Barb. She got
into public service as a community activist. There was a
highway that was going to tear up an important and
historic part of her community, and she got involved.
Being schooled by her and many of my colleagues, many
women believed, oh, they would be excluded from politics
if they went into politics directly. But when you are a
community activist and you take a lead because something
is bothering you about your home or your neighborhood,
politics just followed sort of naturally. It is a little
bit like Patty Murray's story as well.
These days, because of what Barb has done, I think my
daughters can aspire--I do not know if they do, but they
can aspire to go into political life directly. In those
days, it was much harder. But there she was. She led this
fight. She went on to the city council, of course the
Third Congressional District in Maryland, and now to this
august Chamber. She has done so much. It has been
cataloged by all my colleagues.
Medical research: There are probably millions of people
alive today because of the 35 years she has pushed to make
that happen. They do not know who they are, but they are
there; and they are living happy and healthy because of
Barb Mikulski.
How about veterans and health care needs? Again,
literally tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands,
of our veterans are living much better lives because they
were able to get the health care that Barb Mikulski
spearheaded, particularly in the earlier days when this
was not a popular cause.
The list goes on and on. She has done so much. In our
Chamber she is beloved. Beloved. People are sometimes
afraid of her when she gets mad. People want her approval.
But most of all, I think what most of us seek is her
advice, because after so many years in politics, she has
that gift to understand what the average person needs and
to talk directly to them. She does not talk through her
colleagues or does not talk through the media or does not
talk through some community leader or other politician.
She still is talking to that family sitting in East
Baltimore or in Hagerstown or in Annapolis. She almost has
them in front of her eyes wherever she goes. That is why
her speeches are so effective. She does not try to polish
them. That is not her. She speaks from the heart directly
to the people, and she cares so much about them that it
comes through. It is an amazing trait.
I most admire people in political life who never forget
where they came from. She is one of the most powerful
people, not just women, one of the most powerful persons
in America. I did not know Barb Mikulski when she was a
community activist in East Baltimore, but my guess is she
is exactly the same today. All the power and the
accomplishments and the emoluments and the praise, all
deserved, have not changed her a whit. That to me says an
amazing thing about an individual.
Barb, I know my colleagues are waiting, but we love you.
We cherish you. As Patty Murray said, ``I will put it my
own way, I am sure that Barbara Mikulski, knowing her as
well as I do, the best is yet to come.''
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, I wish to join my
colleagues in a tribute to Senator Mikulski.
I am delighted to join my colleagues in this tribute to
perhaps our favorite colleague, Barbara Mikulski, on her
becoming the longest serving woman in congressional
history. Her work in these Halls has made our country
stronger. In a place where partisan rancor too often rules
the day, she has established a legacy of service to her
constituents and to all of us in this body that stands as
an example to every one of us.
Her political career began in the late 1960s when she
launched a campaign to stop the construction of a highway
over a historic neighborhood she wanted to protect in
Baltimore. She won that battle and went on to run for the
Baltimore City Council in 1971. More than 40 years later
and following a successful stint in the House of
Representatives, Barbara Mikulski continues to blaze an
impressive trail.
During her 27 years in the Senate, she became the first
woman to sit on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the
first woman to chair an appropriations subcommittee, and
the first Democratic woman elected to Senate leadership.
Last year, we celebrated Barbara as she became the longest
serving female Senator. Now she has crossed yet another
milestone, passing Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of
Massachusetts, having served in the Congress longer than
any woman in history.
Of course, we do not just celebrate the quantity of
Barbara's service but its quality. No one is better at
drilling down to the heart of an issue and expressing it
in punchy, unforgettable terms. No one cheers us up more
than Barbara when she tells us to: Stand tall, square our
shoulders, put on our lipstick, and rise to the occasion.
We do not all put on lipstick, but we all get the message.
No one better combines the idealism of politics with the
proactive abilities of government. She told me once with a
twinkle in her eye, ``I am a reformer, but I am a bit of a
wardheeler too.'' Practicality and passion combined is
what makes politics successful, and no one does it better
than Barbara.
When she was first elected to the House in 1977, she was
1 of 21 women in Congress; 18 in the House and, the
following year, only 3 in the Senate. Today there are 93
women serving including 17 Senators. Barbara has earned
the distinction of dean of the Senate women. But she never
forgot her roots as a champion for those who need a voice
in this building.
In her years in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski's
dedication to her constituents and women's rights has been
clear, from becoming a champion of women's health issues
to organizing training seminars for women of both parties
elected to the Senate, to sponsoring and pushing through
with a force that we all remember the Lilly Ledbetter Fair
Pay Act of 2009.
During my much shorter tenure as a Senator, I have had
the great privilege and pleasure to work with Barbara to
pass landmark health care reform legislation out of the
HELP Committee. I have also served with her on the
Intelligence Committee, and worked closely with her on the
Senate Intelligence Committee's cyber task force to
evaluate cyberthreats and issue recommendations to the
full committee. I have taken from those experiences great
affection and respect for Senator Barbara Mikulski. These
are issues that are complex, complicated, difficult, and
abstruse, and she brought to them the verve and the vigor
and the vision to move on them. Those really are her
hallmarks: verve, vigor, and vision.
I know all of us here in this Chamber are proud to call
Senator Barb our colleague and friend as she makes history
yet again. Her hard work and collegial spirit have
enriched this Senate. I wish her all of the best in the
accomplishments ahead. On behalf of all Rhode Islanders,
Senator Mikulski, I congratulate you for this milestone in
your history, the Senate's history, and our Nation's
history.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia is
recognized.
Mr. ISAKSON. Madam President, I consider it an honor and
a privilege to rise for a moment to pay tribute to Senator
Mikulski from the State of Maryland, In so doing, I think
it is only appropriate that I quote from a speech made on
November 22 in 1922 by the first woman ever to serve in
the Senate.
Rebecca Latimer Felton was the first woman Senator. She
was appointed for 1 day. Governor Brown had run against
Walter George for the Senate. Walter George won. And
because of Ms. Felton's unending help to him in his race,
he asked the Governor if he would appoint her for a day to
his seat before he took it and was sworn in.
She came to Washington, DC, to serve for 1 day and she
made one speech. In that speech she had a paragraph that
to me exemplifies Barbara Mikulski. She said:
Let me say, Mr. President, that when the women of the
country come and sit with you, though there may be but
very few in the next few years, I pledge you that you will
get ability, you will get integrity of purpose, you will
get exalted patriotism, and you will get unstinted
usefulness.
That was Rebecca Felton in 1922. Today, in March 2012,
we honor a Senator who has lived up to every one of those
promises Ms. Felton made almost 100 years ago. I have had
the privilege to serve on the HELP Committee with the
Senator, worked very closely on the Alzheimer's
legislation which she has been such a leader on, worked
with her on many other projects, including one I am happy
to remind her about, and that was the confirmation of
Wendy Sherman a few months ago when, on the floor of the
Senate, we worked together to see that she was appointed
and named and confirmed Under Secretary of State for the
United States of America, serving under Hillary Clinton.
On that night when we worked on getting that UC
(unanimous consent) done, and it was not easy, I saw the
tenacity, I saw the grace, I saw the patriotism, and I saw
the integrity of Barbara Mikulski. It is an honor for me
to rise today and commend her on a great individual
achievement, not just for herself but for all of the women
who have gone before her and all the women who will come
later on, and to my five granddaughters and my daughter.
She has led the life in the Senate exemplary of the
contributions that all women can make to our society. I
commend her on her service, her compassion, her integrity,
and all that she has done for the State of Maryland, the
United States of America, and peace on this Earth.
Barbara, congratulations to you on a great achievement.
It is an honor for me to be here.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Klobuchar). The Senator from
Delaware is recognized.
Mr. COONS. Madam President, I am honored to follow my
good friend and colleague from the State of Georgia in
recognizing the remarkable contributions of Senator
Mikulski, now the longest serving woman in the history of
the Congress.
Today we have been joined by many great Marylanders. We
have had Governor O'Malley and Senator Cardin, and former
Senator Sarbanes, and Senator Mikulski's own family, her
sisters and brother-in-law in attendance. I am also
pleased that we have got two of her favorite constituents,
my father and my brother, who are with us today as well.
They live in Annapolis and they have known what I have
known since childhood when I lived in the suburbs of
Baltimore, that Senator Mikulski is a remarkable, a
tireless, a passionate, and an effective Senator.
Reference has been made to her start as a community
organizer, someone who saved Fells Point from a 16-lane
superhighway, someone who was not afraid to get into the
gritty issues of a local community and standing up for
folks who did not have anyone to fight for them. We have
also heard about her early years as a social worker,
helping folks in need understand the programs available to
them and then fighting for the programs that should have
been available to them.
It is no surprise to any of us that the district she
first represented in the House of Representatives, the
Third, was known as the ``steel district'' where lots of
men and women worked in the Bethlehem Steel plant. It is
no surprise that she has earned a reputation here in the
Senate as a woman of steel, who fights for manufacturers,
who fights for Federal workers, who fights for Western
Maryland, who fights for poultry on the peninsula of the
Eastern Shore of Maryland, who fights for her constituents
day in and day out.
It is indeed just that in this Woman's History Month we
would be recognizing Senator Barbara Mikulski, who has
stood up for Maryland each and every day. Though like me
she comes up a little short every time she stands, she
stands incredibly tall in the company of Senators
throughout American history. She is someone who is
passionate for people, who has determination to continue
in the tradition of her father, that fair deal grocer, who
asked every day that simple question: How can I help?, and
then gets busy answering it.
She is a role model for me, for all of us, for my
daughter, for my family, for our community. She is the
only Senator I have heard say to me, fiercely, before
going on a vote on the floor: ``To the barricades.'' And
she is the only person who could say that and mean it. For
a lifetime, she has been at the barricades of justice. She
has been at the barricades of service. She has been at the
barricades of making a difference. And for that, we are
all grateful.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska is
recognized.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I too stand today to pay
recognition to a friend, a colleague, and truly a woman
who brings a smile to my face. Because for as many years
as she has served her State of Maryland, for as many years
as she has served in the Halls of Congress, she has the
enthusiasm, the spontaneity, the excitement when she
approaches an issue as a brand-new rookie freshman coming
into this body.
That is quite remarkable because around here we can get
kind of dragged down by the day-to-day politics, the
partisan nature, and the conflicts that are inherent in
this process.
Barbara Mikulski is one who embraces life and the
responsibilities that are put before her. She has an
opportunity to represent her constituents, and she
embraces it with an enthusiasm that should be a reminder
to us all of why we are here to serve.
I have so many different stories and quips and quotes
about Senator Mikulski, whose name sounds somewhat similar
to mine--Murkowski. Every now and again, we have an
opportunity to share the same stage, the same podium, and
the individual who is introducing us will trip on his or
her tongue and refer to us wrongly. There was one occasion
where we were being recognized by the National Geographic
Society, and she pointed out to the individual making the
introduction: ``She is the vertical one, and I am the not
so vertical one.''
This is just a recognition again that regardless of the
situation, Barbara Mikulski has a good comeback, a quick
quip. She is a quipmeister if there ever was one. It
speaks again to the enthusiasm and passion she brings to
the job she has in front of her.
With names such as Murkowski and Mikulski, we clearly
have a Polish heritage we look to with pride. She reminds
me of mine because she is perhaps a little more connected
to those Polish roots. Again, there is a sense of pride
with whom she is, where she has come from, and what her
family has done preceding her that allows her to go on and
do so much for so many.
We have had the opportunity to work together on issues
that, coming from different parts of the country--truly
different ends of the country--and one would not think we
would have as much commonality on some of the issues. As
the chairmen on the Commerce, Justice, Science
Appropriations Subcommittee, we have worked closely on
issues that relate to our fisheries, coastal issues, and
judiciary issues. She is always reminding me that we have
to take care of our fishermen out there and make sure our
families who rely on our waters are appropriately cared
for.
We have worked together on women's health issues. We
were recently at the Sister to Sister event. I do feel a
kinship and a relationship with this Polish sister as we
talk about those issues that are so important to women's
health.
We share the same concerns about how we do more for our
first responders, our servicemembers, and our veterans.
Just this past week, Senator--I almost called her
Murkowski myself--Senator Mikulski was chairing a
committee, and I brought up an issue as it related to the
late Senator Ted Stevens and the Department of Justice
investigation that failed so miserably--and we are now
pursuing it, through different avenues, to make sure
nobody should have to go through what Senator Stevens
did--Senator Mikulski literally stopped the committee
hearing to remind the Attorney General that, in fact, this
was not a partisan issue; this was an issue where we all
should be concerned and that if there is no justice within
the Department of Justice, what does that mean for us as a
nation.
She is never hesitant to speak and stand and make very
clear, when these issues are important to the Nation, it
should know no bounds by party. Barbara Mikulski has held
true to that.
In many different ways, that makes this milestone we are
recognizing even more important because I think there is a
kind of a piling on of events that can happen in the Halls
of Congress, where the weight of what we do on a daily
basis gets to be a load. To a certain extent, one can get
tired, one can get worn, but Barbara has not let the
weight of that responsibility bring her down.
I was joking with her a little bit ago when all the
accolades were coming her way. I said, ``Barbara, with all
these kind words that are being said about you, by the
time the tributes are done, you are going to be 7 feet
tall.''
That woman is 7 feet tall in the minds of so many of us.
She is a giant for the people of Maryland. She has proven
herself to be a giant in so many ways as she works to do
good for so many.
I am proud to stand with so many colleagues in
recognizing her tenure, recognizing this historic place
she has carved for herself within the Congress, and to
call her my friend.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I rise to honor the
service of one of our most distinguished and long-serving
colleagues, the tireless, sometimes relentless, and often
spirited senior Senator from Maryland, Ms. Barbara
Mikulski.
To say she is a trailblazer for women in politics is an
understatement. She has blazed a bold trail not just for
women in politics but for all women in every endeavor. She
is a fighter, an advocate, someone whom one is hopefully
on the same side with because she is a formidable opponent
when one is on the opposite side. She is a role model for
leadership and getting things done.
Her impressive list of accomplishments is far too long
to recite in a few minutes or even a few hours. It would
not adequately do justice to her incredible service to
Maryland and the people of this Nation. Senator Mikulski
has dedicated her career to serving Marylanders and has
dedicated her life to public service.
She began as a social worker in the neighborhoods of
Baltimore, working every day on the street helping at-risk
children find their way and giving seniors the help they
needed.
She was not, and is not, a bleeding heart, but there is
no one who has a fuller heart, a more open heart to the
deepest needs of the least powerful among us than Senator
Mikulski. She is someone one wants on their side.
Senator Mikulski came to public service with what I like
to call the long view. She can see beyond herself to the
needs of society as a whole, and she has fought for those
needs and won on far more occasions than she has lost.
When she first ran for public office in 1971, I know she
had in her heart the deep and abiding memories of those
kids and seniors she met in Baltimore when she began her
career. I know she carries those memories with her to this
day. To this day, she has never forgotten the people of
Maryland who need her the most and have had the wisdom to
elect her time and time again.
Her political career has taken her from the Baltimore
City Council to the House of Representatives and to this
Chamber, where she has honorably served for the past 26
years. For 7 years, I have had the opportunity to work
with her in this Chamber, and there has been no stronger,
more knowledgeable, more committed colleague on this side
of the aisle. She is an example for all her colleagues,
determined to work across the aisle when possible and
ready to fight for her beliefs when necessary.
She was the first woman elected to statewide office in
Maryland, the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate
in her own right, the first woman to serve in both Houses
of Congress, and the longest serving female Member of the
Senate.
As we all know, this past Saturday, Senator Mikulski
became the longest serving woman in the history of the
Congress, serving more than 35 years in the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
It is only fitting that she achieve this milestone
during Women's History Month because she has not only
paved the way for women in politics but she has helped
pave the way for women everywhere.
I had the opportunity to work with Senator Mikulski
during the long and difficult debate and negotiations on
health care reform. Her work was instrumental in ensuring
that women have access to the comprehensive health care
they are now guaranteed under the law. During that debate,
no one's voice was clearer, no one's voice was stronger,
no one was more convincing than she in the fight for a
woman's right to comprehensive health care coverage.
She fought for mandatory insurance coverage of essential
services, such as mammograms and maternity care, services
that many insurance companies refused to cover. She fought
to end gender discrimination by insurance companies.
As a result of the Affordable Care Act and, in large
measure because of Senator Mikulski's tireless efforts on
behalf of women, being a woman is no longer a preexisting
condition, as insurance companies used to say, that can be
discriminated against.
Those insurance companies that routinely denied coverage
of basic women's health services--essential services--are
now required to cover those services under the
comprehensive women's health services provision of the
law.
Whenever there is a need in the Chamber for a strong
voice for women, whenever there is a need for an advocate
to stand for the powerless against the powerful, whenever
there is a child who needs a friend or a senior citizen
who needs a hand, Barbara Mikulski is there.
I believe there are many times she comes to this floor
remembering, as she said, her days back in Baltimore, and
she is right there--an advocate's advocate--fighting for
those children and seniors she met along the way.
The rest of us are better off because she comes here
with a full heart, ready to do what is right, not just
what is politically expedient.
Her bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, was signed
into law by President Obama just days after his
inauguration. I was proud to work with her on that bill
and on so many other efforts as well that make a
difference in the lives of average Americans.
Finally, Senator Mikulski has been a tireless advocate
for something that is near and dear to my own heart--for
those who suffer from Alzheimer's and their families.
As the son of a mother who battled Alzheimer's for 18
years and lost her life to it, I understand first hand the
unique challenges of providing long-term care for a loved
one. Senator Mikulski has come to this floor on countless
occasions advocating for increased research, education,
and programs for individuals with Alzheimer's. She has
found support from her colleagues on both sides of the
aisle.
It is estimated that 5.4 million Americans are currently
living with Alzheimer's and millions more have been
touched in some way by this debilitating disease.
I thank the Senator from the bottom of my heart for her
passion for helping those who suffer from this disease. I
look forward to continuing to work with her on this issue
until we find a cure for Alzheimer's.
The bottom line: Barbara Mikulski is a deeply committed
public servant. The State of Maryland has rightly
recognized her invaluable service for many years. Because
of her efforts, those Maryland families know their
interests are protected and their voices are heard.
It has been an honor to serve with her. All of us in
this Chamber can only hope to serve our States with the
same conviction, selflessness, and pride as Senator
Mikulski has throughout her 35 years of service to the
State of Maryland.
I am reminded of what Mother Teresa said when she got
the Congressional Gold Medal, ``It is not the awards and
recognition that one receives in life that matter; it is
how one has lived their life that matters.''
In that respect, Barbara Mikulski has lived an
extraordinary life. We thank her for what she has done and
not just for the people of Maryland but for all the people
of America.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, I am proud to be able to
join my colleagues on the floor this afternoon in honoring
Senator Barbara Mikulski for her service to Maryland and
for the endless contributions she has made to the people
of this country.
It is very hard to adequately describe a political icon
such as Barbara Mikulski. For all of us women in politics,
she is a model of what we can aspire to or what we would
hope to aspire to. I just want to tell a simple story
about Barb that I think reflects her ability to get along
with people, her zest for life, as so many of my
colleagues have described, and the connection she makes
that makes a difference for people.
She and I were on a flight with four other Senators to
the security forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a couple of
years ago, and the weather was bad, so our flight was
diverted to Bangor, ME. It was winter in New England, and
of course, when there is bad weather in New England in the
winter, it sticks around for a while, so we were trapped
overnight in Bangor. Most of us just sort of sat there
waiting to figure out what was going to be done while we
waited for a flight the next day, but not Barbara, because
she doesn't sit still. She is never afraid to pick up the
phone and take action, and that is exactly what she did.
Barbara dialed up her old friend and colleague--the
colleague of all of us--Senator Susan Collins, and said,
``Guess where I am.'' And that is how those of us who were
on that flight--the six Senators and the Secretary of
Homeland Security--wound up joining Senator Collins and
the legendary Troop Greeters of Bangor, ME, in welcoming
troops at the airport as they returned home from overseas.
So what had earlier seemed like an inconvenience turned
into a fabulous opportunity to thank our brave men and
women in uniform and to have a good time while we were
doing it.
You find those kinds of things happening if you spend
time with Barbara Mikulski. It is a byproduct of her
relentless energy, her drive to better her community and
our Nation as a whole, her deep commitment to fighting for
women's health, and her unfailing grace and gumption as a
legislator, a colleague, and a friend.
As has been said, she got her start as a social worker
trying to make the lives of men and women in her native
Baltimore a little easier to bear. She was working in the
service of values that were taught to her by her family,
who owned the neighborhood grocery store. And as so many
have commented, she often tells the story of her father
opening the store early so that steelworkers coming in for
the early morning shift would have time to buy their
lunch. Barb has carried that spirit, those values she
learned from her family in that grocery store here to the
Senate, and often those values are sorely needed here.
As dean of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues,
she has built a sense of community within the caucus. Her
bipartisan women's dinners are legendary. And, of course,
what happens at those dinners stays at those dinners.
Those are Mikulski's rules. But we really don't need to
look any further than that wintry night in Maine to know
how effective she has been in making things happen for
people.
I look forward to more of her dinners, to more
conversations with the Senator, to more chances to work
with her as she fights on behalf of women and seniors and
veterans and all those who don't have a voice in
government and at the table. I thank the Senator for her
friendship, for her leadership, and for her many years of
service.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, I too am honored to be
able to rise today to speak of our dear friend Barbara
Mikulski. So many good things have been said, so many
accolades have been shared about what Barbara has done and
what she means to all of us. I can only tell you there is
not a better ally, mentor, neighbor, and, most important,
friend to have in the Senate than Barbara Mikulski.
My State shares a border with Barbara's State. Maryland
and West Virginia have had a long and illustrious
relationship. As Governor, I had always known of Barbara
and had met her a few times when I served the great State
of West Virginia. But as a Senator, I have had the
privilege of being her colleague and working with her and
becoming friends, listening to her and watching how she
works with her constituents, how she considers the issues,
how she fights for issues. I don't think anyone has ever
had to guess where Barbara stands on an issue because we
all know.
In the 15 months we have worked together, I can say it
has been extremely rewarding to serve alongside her,
whether it is her wisdom she shares on the train ride over
to our sessions here or whether we talk about our both
being raised in a grocery store. My grandfather had a
little grocery store and, as you know, Barbara was raised
with her father in a grocery store. I think, basically, if
you have retail in your blood, you understand the people
of America.
Her sense of humor is something to behold. Every day I
have the privilege of serving with her is a good day in
the Senate.
I know colleagues have all shared their stories about
Barbara, and they have had more experience with her in the
Senate. As a freshman, being here only a little over a
year and a half, I have not had that many personal
experiences, but I can tell you this: If there is a fight
that breaks out, if there is something going wrong, you
want Barbara on your side. She is the person to have in
that foxhole when the shooting starts. I have been so
appreciative to have her as my friend and always count on
her.
As we have all heard, she has been an advocate for
women's health, the space program, and her most beloved
State of Maryland, which she fights for every day.
Last year she became the first woman to reach the
milestone of serving a quarter of a century in the Senate.
Madam President, I have staffers who are younger than her
years of service. But I also have young staffers,
especially my female staffers, who have said they see a
world of possibility because of the trail Senator Barbara
Mikulski has left for them. With all of that, she has
blazed a trail for all of us. No one will be able to fill
the shoes of Barbara Mikulski. We will all be lucky enough
to follow in her footsteps.
When she began serving on the Hill in 1977, there were
20 other women in all of Congress. She was among 17 who
served in the House, while the following year there were 3
in the Senate. Today, 35 years later, there are 17 women
serving in the Senate. If there is anything we can learn
from Senator Barbara Mikulski, it is that 17 women is far
too few. We need more women like you, Barbara, and, just
as important, we need more Senators like you.
I can honestly say that I know the State of Maryland is
much better off because of Barbara Mikulski, and I can
tell you that the United States of America is a better
country because of Barbara Mikulski. So I say thank you to
my dear friend Barbara for her service to this great
country and to all the constituents in Maryland who must
be extremely proud of her and have a right to be so. I too
am so proud to call her my friend and my neighbor.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, we have listened with
interest and total accord as the life of Barbara Mikulski
in the Senate has been reviewed by so many people. We have
heard the friendship and good will we all share toward
her.
Her record is quite well known. She is determined to get
things done. She never lets minutiae stand in the way or
block an accomplishment. I have noticed one thing: When
Barbara Mikulski starts to talk during a debate, the noise
around the room quiets down. If it doesn't, beware;
Barbara will call your attention to it and say it in a way
that demands attention.
Barbara and I arrived in the Senate in fairly close
proximity. I came here in 1983 and Barbara, who was
elected in 1986, arrived in 1987, as I recall. We were
both on the Appropriations Committee. I had some slight
seniority over her, and one of the things that were being
dealt with was seniority. Barbara asked for my help in the
choice of subcommittee, and I tried to step out of the way
and help Barbara obtain the chairmanship of a subcommittee
in Appropriations, which she managed so well and so
effectively. She once called me her Galahad, and I was
proud of the moniker because it was intended to be a
compliment and a sign of friendship.
Strikingly, Barbara Mikulski and I have backgrounds that
are not dissimilar. I come from Polish heritage. My
grandparents on my paternal side were born in Poland, as
Barbara's family was. They were immigrants. My parents
were brought as children from Europe and went through the
traditional immigrant absorption.
My folks found it very hard to make a living as they
grew up here in America. My grandparents were essentially
poor people with a kind of blue collar background. They
had to resort to storekeeping to keep food on the table, a
roof overhead, and clothes on their backs.
The one thing that threaded through those years for me--
and I heard it coming from Barbara Mikulski so many times
when she spoke--was there was always dignity in the house,
there was always a positive outlook.
As I heard, my parents, like hers, were not able to do
much with presents and valuables. But they did something
else, and you see it so fundamentally clear in Barbara
Mikulski's demeanor and her behavior: that what she
learned at home, the same thing that I learned at home,
was the meaning of values--not valuables--but values.
Values included a character obligation for hard work and
honesty and decency. They were the yardsticks by which we
were measured as children and as adults.
I worked very closely with Barbara. I left the Senate,
as is known, for 2 years and my seniority slipped as a
consequence. Barbara's seniority continued to grow, and
she is chairman of an appropriations subcommittee. Barbara
always brought a degree of strength and energy to the
things that she said and to the things she did. Although
Barbara during a presentation wanted to make sure that she
was heard, and heard correctly, she would also pop up with
humor. She had a facility with words and a facility with
expression that would have you engrossed in what she was
saying and caught you off guard when a joke or a humorous
statement would pop up.
When we note that Barbara Mikulski, from this modest
background, was always on the side of working people, it
was never a mask; it was the truth and it was where she
wanted to be. I must say that she, for me, was always a
steadfast beacon that would remind us: Don't get carried
away too much with your personal importance. Get carried
away with the things you have to do in your responsibility
as a Senator.
When Barbara Mikulski came these years ago, as was
noted, she was the first among the women to come to the
Senate and ultimately, as we now know, became the longest
serving and carried herself through all of the
difficulties we have had. But always you could depend on
Barbara Mikulski. When Barbara stood up, people stopped
talking about things that were extraneous and they would
listen carefully, because Barbara Mikulski always made so
much sense and she didn't let you get by without a
challenge if she believed you were wrong.
We have heard about her record, we have heard about her
accomplishments, and everybody had wonderful things to say
about her. I listened carefully to the statements that
were being made and thought about our days together and
how wonderful it was to be able to hear Barbara Mikulski
make sense out of what often escaped that challenge. She
would offer the challenge and she would offer solutions.
I, like our other colleagues, stand here in awe and
respect and note that Barbara Mikulski, the storekeeper's
daughter, is so much like that which I saw in my own life
and we have seen in America in the past century; and
Barbara Mikulski who, in all due modesty, without any
impression of a smug satisfaction, is always ready to take
up the battle for the people she serves, not only in the
State of Maryland but across the country. She is an
inspiration for women coming to government, and she serves
so well as a demonstration of what could be.
I am delighted to be here, to stand here as a friend and
an admirer of Barbara Mikulski, and wish her many more
years of service. I know that with Barbara around, you can
always count on sense and good judgment to result.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York is
recognized.
Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Madam President, I associate myself
with the remarks of my colleague, the Senator from New
Jersey.
It is with great admiration that I rise today to join
all of my colleagues who have spoken before me and who
will continue to speak honoring the Senator from Maryland,
Barbara Mikulski, as the longest serving woman in the
history of the Congress.
It has been such an honor to serve with Senator
Mikulski. In my 3 years in the Senate, she has quickly
become a dear friend and an invaluable mentor, as she has
been for all of the other female colleagues as the dean of
women Senators.
It wasn't until 1932 that Hattie Caraway became the
first woman ever elected to the Senate, and it wasn't
until a half century later in 1986 that, against all odds,
Barbara Mikulski became the first Democratic woman elected
to the Senate. That is right. When she arrived in the
Senate, she was just one of two women serving in this
body. Now the longest serving woman in congressional
history, Senator Mikulski is showing what is possible when
you ignore conventional wisdom, never stop fighting for
what is right, and honor our commitment to families who
elect us every single day.
One of her hallmark battles has been the fight for equal
pay for work for women. This is not only an issue of
equality and justice but an economic imperative, because
as we stand here today, with more dual income households
than ever, women only make 77 cents on the dollar compared
to men. For women of color, the disparity is even greater,
African American women earn 62 cents on the dollar, and
Latinas 53 cents on the dollar. I know Senator Mikulski
won't give up until we correct this outrageous injustice,
and I am honored to be fighting alongside her.
Senator Mikulski has also led the fight to strengthen
our laws against domestic violence, and open access to
health screenings and treatment that saves women's lives.
Close to my heart, she was among the first to stand up to
insurance companies that said that being a woman was a
preexisting condition. You can always count on Senator
Mikulski to lead the charge in drawing a line in the sand
in the Senate when it comes to protecting women's health
and a woman's right to choose. We saw it yet again when
she stood up to the dangerous overreach of the Blunt
amendment that would have denied women of this country the
ability to choose which medications to take and leave that
decision to their boss.
She embodies the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: ``The
battle for individual rights of women is one of long
standing and none of us should countenance anything that
undermines it.''
It is that spirit--making your voice heard, never
backing down in the face of injustice--that has made
Senator Mikulski one of the strongest voices we have for
women in this country and women around the world. Every
single day she is paving the way for more women leaders in
America by showing the young women and girls of this
country that women's voices matter and are needed in our
public debate.
I close by expressing my personal debt of gratitude to
her for her vision, her leadership, and her pioneering
spirit. I simply could not imagine working in this body
without her leadership. She has taught me so much in such
a short period of time. And, equally important, she has
fostered an unbreakable bipartisan spirit among our
colleagues that has resulted in important victories for
the American public.
Thank you, Senator Mikulski, and congratulations on your
historic achievement. It is an honor to serve with you,
and I hope to continue to serve with you for many years to
come.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I am probably going to be the
concluding remarks on celebrating Senator Mikulski, so I
am going to proceed with that.
Madam President, we have been here now for almost 3
hours--I was down here when we started. Senator Feinstein
started about 2 o'clock and we are approaching 5 o'clock
now--for an incredible celebration of Barbara Mikulski's
career. I have listened to a lot of it both at my office
and here on the floor, and it is pretty remarkable to hear
the kinds of things she has done with her life and I rise
today to honor my colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski.
As has been noted, this month Senator Mikulski becomes
the longest serving woman in the history of Congress. With
her perfect sense of timing, Barbara reaches this historic
milestone during Women's History Month. And it is for the
history books. As Barbara has said, ``It is not how long I
serve but how well I serve.'' She has served very well.
She has served her beloved State of Maryland very well,
and she served this country in a number of capacities on
the Appropriations Committee and on various committees in
the Congress.
We celebrate this historic occasion but, more deeply, we
celebrate Barbara's record of achievement--a record that
transcends gender, a record that is rooted in a life
dedicated to public service.
Since she was first elected to public office in 1971 to
the Baltimore City Council, Barbara has been setting
milestones. Think about that for a minute--1971. This is
40 years plus of public service. As the Chair knows, this
is pretty remarkable. She served in public service for a
while. I have served for a while. But 41 years of public
service is remarkable--the first woman elected to
statewide office in Maryland; the first Democratic woman
elected to the Senate in her own right; the first woman in
the Senate Democratic leadership; and the first Democratic
woman to serve in both Houses of Congress. Yet it is not
her being first that is the most impressive; it is her
commitment to putting others first. Barbara has shown that
commitment time and again.
In over 35 years in the Congress, she has never wavered
in her service to our Nation and her dedication to the
people of Maryland. She has fought for quality education.
She has fought for American seniors. She has fought for
women's health and for veterans. For women facing unequal
pay, Barbara championed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
For senior citizens facing bankruptcy because of a
spouse's nursing home care, Barbara wrote the Spousal
Anti-Impoverishment Act. Yes, she is a trailblazer, but
she blazes those trails to help others--for young people
who dream of going to college, for families facing
devastating illness, for opportunity for all Americans.
That has been her passion, that has been her true
achievement, and that will be her greatest legacy.
When Barbara was first elected to the Senate in 1986,
there was only one other female Senator. Now there are 17.
Barbara is, rightly so, the dean of the women. She is a
mentor to her female colleagues, but no less so she is an
inspiration to all of us.
I admire Barbara's remarkable determination and her
tenacity, but also her ability to work with others to get
things done. She will fight for what she believes, but she
will sit down to dinner with her colleagues across the
aisle. And she has never forgotten where she came from.
The daughter of a Baltimore grocer, each night she returns
home to Baltimore. She has never forgotten the values she
learned there: hard work, helping one's neighbor,
patriotism.
She is diminutive in height only. That was evident early
on. The story is well known how, as a young community
activist, Barbara stopped that 16-lane highway from coming
through Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood. She is not
afraid to stand up to power, and she is not afraid of
speaking strongly to power. In all the ways that count,
Senator Barbara Mikulski is a towering figure.
Albert Schweitzer once said:
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I
know for sure. The only ones among you who will be truly
happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
This Barbara Mikulski has done. From her early days as a
social worker to her years in Congress, she has served.
She has served long and well.
Congratulations, Barbara. It is an honor to be your
colleague.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I couldn't be more pleased as
well as privileged to join all of my colleagues today in
congratulating a very good friend and colleague, the dean
of the women of the Senate, Senator Barbara Mikulski, on
overtaking Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers as the
longest serving woman in the history of the Congress.
As someone who has had the privilege of knowing Senator
Mikulski since 1978 when I was first elected to the House
of Representatives, for me, this milestone represents a
watershed moment in the life of American politics.
For nearly 35 years, I have witnessed Barbara Mikulski
summon and harness a seemingly limitless reservoir of
energy as a fierce advocate and a champion on behalf of
the people of Maryland as well as the country. With equal
parts vigor and vigilance, she has demonstrated a devotion
to her constituents that has been unerring in its promise
and ironclad in its purpose.
It is precisely that caliber of service that the people
of Maryland have rewarded time and time again.
As I stated on this very floor at the outset of this
Congress when she surpassed the length of service of
Maine's legendary Senator Margaret Chase Smith, Senator
Mikulski is synonymous with ``the special bond of trust
which should exist between the governing and the
governed.'' She has ``recognized injustice and acted
boldly to quell it ... giving a voice to the voiceless ...
power to the powerless.''
What Senator Margaret Chase Smith and Congresswoman
Edith Nourse Rogers exemplified as standard bearers in the
last century for length of service, Senator Mikulski
embodies in this century--that the commitment to advancing
the common good is bound neither by geographic region nor
political affiliation but, rather, by an undaunted desire
to serve others.
A consummate role model and admired mentor, Senator
Mikulski always stands as a shining example that the
robust pursuit of policy and the willingness to hear and
consider dissenting views are not mutually exclusive. As I
have often said, Senator Mikulski knows only one speed,
and that is full speed ahead. But by the same token, she
only knows one way to govern--through what she aptly
referred to as the zone of civility. That approach, so
integral to making this institution work, is indisputably
one of the hallmark measures of Senator Mikulski's
longstanding success in public life. Indeed, it is the
blueprint for interaction that she has imbued in all of us
who are women serving in the Senate. She has worked to
establish a tone of respect that infuses our
conversations, our collegiality, our collaboration. It is
a personal cause to Senator Mikulski that is exemplified
by the monthly dinners for women Senators that she
initiated along with the Senator from Texas, Mrs.
Hutchison, a tradition that has become a catalyst for
camaraderie and central to what Senator Mikulski calls our
``unbreakable bond.''
There has been no greater friend for women who have come
to serve in the Senate, and I am sure it is a result of
Senator Mikulski having arrived here as the second woman
to serve in the Senate, along with the Senator from
Kansas, Senator Kassebaum, as she said at the time--and
that is why she was so willing to serve as a mentor for
other women who arrived in the Senate, because she was
only one of two women who were serving in this
institution. As she said, ``the Senate had a long
tradition of every man for himself.'' She was determined,
she said, ``that it would not be every woman for herself
while she was in the Senate.''
As my colleagues also well know, when it comes to having
an ally in the legislative foxhole, there is none more
feisty, none more formidable, and certainly none better
than Senator Barbara Mikulski. I have witnessed her
tenacity first hand, having worked with her side by side
over the decades, whether on matters of equity for women
in the workplace, ensuring gender-integrated training in
the military, working on cybersecurity, working on every
other issue where we are bringing justice to those who
have borne the brunt of injustice.
Nowhere has her leadership been more unmistakable, of
course, or more monumental than in the area of women's
health. I well recall, when I arrived in the U.S. House of
Representatives in 1979, I joined what was then known as
the Congresswomen's Caucus on Women's Issues, which is
where I ultimately became the cochair for a better part of
the decade. Senator Barbara Mikulski, at that time being
in the House of Representatives, served in that caucus as
well.
When I arrived in the House of Representatives in 1979,
there were only 16 women serving in that institution. That
is why the Congresswomen's Caucus was formed, to focus on
those issues that mattered to women and to family and to
children. We recognized that it was our obligation and
responsibility to work, to focus on those issues because
otherwise they would languish on the back burner rather
than being on the front burner. We also understood that if
we did not focus on these issues, if we did not advance
these issues, no one else would. So we began to tackle
systematically many of the discriminatory laws or
inequities that were embedded in Federal law that failed
to recognize the dual role women were playing, both at
home as well as in the workplace.
We began to work on these issues one by one because
there were so many issues across the board that were
affecting women, where they were ultimately bearing the
burden and the consequences of these inequitable laws. We
did that with respect to pensions, for example, where
women discovered that after their husbands died, their
pensions had been canceled.
We discovered it when it came to family and medical
leave, which took us the better part of 7 years to enact
that legislation. But, again, women were bearing the
burden of taking care of their ailing parents or their
children at home and paying the consequences in the
workplace.
Then, of course, there was the issue we discovered of
discriminatory treatment in our clinical study trials.
Regrettably, at the time our National Institutes of Health
were actually discriminating against women and minorities,
excluding them from clinical study trials because it was
too complicated to include women in these study trials
because we were biologically different. As a result, any
of those treatments that were developed as a result of
those trials could not be applied to women. Ultimately,
this could make the difference between life and death
because the kinds of procedures and treatments that were
derived from these clinical study trials could not be
applied to women.
When we discovered that these inequities and this
discriminatory treatment existed, we set to work on how to
redress this wrong. It is hard to believe there was a time
in America where women and minorities were systematically
excluded from these trials that, as I said, had lifesaving
implications. Who would have thought that women's health
would have been the missing page in America's medical
textbooks or merely an afterthought.
So I, as a cochair along with Congresswoman Pat
Schroeder in the House, on behalf of the caucus, and, of
course, then-Senator Barbara Mikulski in the Senate,
teamed up in a close bipartisan, bicameral collaboration
to establish the groundbreaking Office of Research on
Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health so
that never again would women be overlooked when it came to
key clinical study trials that were underwritten by the
Federal taxpayers and Federal funds. In fact, Senator
Mikulski, as I well recall, launched the key panel of
stakeholders at Bethesda to give this initiative critical
national attention and momentum--as only she could--as
well as fundamental policy changes that ultimately
resulted from that panel that reverberate to this day,
resulting as well in lifesaving medical discoveries for
America's women.
That is the passion and power of Senator Mikulski that
has led her to this historic day. Barbara is not about
legacy, she is about problem solving. As somebody
described it, her ideology is grounded in the practical,
and that is so true. It is not only the practical but
giving power to the people and developing practical
solutions in their everyday lives.
She is a guardian of the common good, a woman who
redefines the word ``trailblazer,'' a pioneer of public
policy. Senator Mikulski continues to shape the landscape
of our Nation for the better, with a force and a might and
a stature, one of the giants of public service, not just
in our time but for all time.
On the occasion of Senator Mikulski's recordbreaking
service, we congratulate her, we salute her, and we are
honored to be able to express a profound appreciation for
her extraordinary and legendary tenure in the Senate.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I come to the floor this
afternoon to celebrate Barbara Mikulski's service to this
country. I had the honor of presiding for the last hour
and heard the statements of so many of my colleagues. I
heard them talk about how, when she joined this Chamber in
1987, Barbara Mikulski was the first woman elected to the
Senate who was not preceded by a husband or a father, the
first woman elected to the statewide office to serve the
State of Maryland, and only the 16th woman to have served
in the Senate ever.
Today she is truly the dean of women Senators. She is a
mentor and a friend to the rest of us, and she has always
set the bar high. This is a woman who took on city hall as
a young social worker in Baltimore--and won. This is a
woman who has championed landmark legislation that has
touched the lives of millions on issues ranging from
health care to education to civil rights. She has
shattered glass ceilings, not just in the Senate but in
the Congress as a whole.
If that is not enough, she has even graced the glossy
pages of Vogue magazine. Most of you may not have seen the
photos that were taken in front of the Capitol Building
with a number of other women leaders, including Meryl
Streep, who was in town for a screening of her film ``The
Iron Lady.'' So I think it is fitting, to borrow a phrase
from the Iron Lady herself, Margaret Thatcher, who
famously said, ``In politics, if you want anything said,
ask a man; if you want anything done, ask a woman.''
I don't think my male colleagues who are here today will
take offense at that one since anyone who has ever worked
with Barbara Mikulski knows she is a force of nature. She
may not be the tallest Member of the Senate, but she is
certainly the most tenacious. She is a tireless advocate
for the people of her State, and she has a fierce and
enduring love for those she represents. She knows where to
pick her battles, and we have seen her face some tough
debates in the Senate over the past few years. Whether it
was working to take C-sections off lists of preexisting
conditions at insurance companies or fighting to ensure
equal pay for equal work for women or promoting better
educational opportunities for children with special needs
or ensuring that our troops and families receive the
benefits that they have earned and that they deserve, she
has never stopped working for fairness, justice, and
decency.
The daughter of a small-town grocery store owner, she
has made strengthening the middle class the centerpiece of
her economic agenda because, as she always puts it, the
women in the Senate understand issues not just at the
macrolevel but also at the macaroni-and-cheese level.
When Barbara Mikulski came to the Senate 26 years ago,
she lit a torch that has brightened the path for so many
of us, for the 16 other women Senators who serve today and
for all the future generations of women leaders who will
lead our country forward. I am humbled to call her a
colleague and a friend, and I am honored to celebrate her
incredible service to our country today.
I yield the floor.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, although I do not have
prepared remarks, I wish to join with my colleagues in
making a few comments about Senator Mikulski.
Senator Mikulski is a great Senator. She is a delight to
work with, a formidable adversary, and a formidable ally
in any important debate. She is someone whom all of us
respect and admire. It surprises me she has been at this
business so long. It doesn't seem as though it is
possible. She certainly hasn't lost her enthusiasm for the
job and she has played an important role in quite a number
of issues with which the country has had to deal.
I remember her leadership on an important issue during
the post-9/11 time, when we were wrestling with how to
deal with security for our country. She spoke firmly and
strongly in favor of firm action to defend America from
attack.
Another issue I don't think has been mentioned but is
exceedingly important--something I have observed her deal
with and provide leadership on for some time--is space and
NASA. She is one of the absolutely most knowledgeable and
experienced Members of this Senate and the entire Congress
in dealing with the complexities and the needs of NASA,
and she is a champion and advocate for exploration of
space. This is an area where America has led the world,
and for all her time in the Senate, she has been a
champion of advocating that the United States maintain
this leadership because I think we share the view that
America is a nation of explorers. We are a nation that
leads the world in exploring, and it is part of our DNA.
So I appreciate her leadership in that particular area, as
I have watched her with great admiration in her
activities.
I didn't realize this tribute would be going on this
afternoon and I didn't have prepared remarks, but I wish
to join with my colleagues to say how much I appreciate
her efforts. We celebrate her great accomplishment in the
Senate. I believe that as we go forward, we will find that
on issue after issue she will play a critical and a
positive role in making America a better place.
I thank the Chair and I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I wish to follow my colleague
from Alabama and speak for just a few minutes about our
friend and colleague, Senator Mikulski, who celebrates a
milestone through her public service to the people of
Maryland.
I asked my staff to go to the Web page for Senator
Mikulski, her Senate office, and I came across one
paragraph which I wish to read to my colleagues, if I may.
It says:
Barbara Mikulski has never forgotten her roots.
Throughout her career she has returned each night to her
home State of Baltimore, Maryland. From community activist
to U.S. Senator, she has never changed her view that all
politics is indeed local and that her job is to serve the
people in their day-to-day needs as well as prepare this
country for the future.
Sometimes people have come to Congress over the years
and they come understanding clearly that our job is to
serve. Over time, somehow they lose that thought a little
bit and it is less clear who is to be served and who is to
be the servant. She has never forgotten who the servant
is. She knows she came as a servant, and she will leave
someday as a servant--hopefully, not anytime soon.
If we ask most people around here what are maybe one or
two words that best describe Barbara Mikulski, I think a
lot of people would say she is a fighter. Let me just say,
if someone is an advocate for a particular cause, she is
the person one wants in the foxhole with them. There is no
better advocate, and there is no better or more able
opponent on an issue. It is a lot better to have her on
your side than it is to have her against you.
I take the train home at night. I go through Baltimore
on my way to Wilmington, DE. Along the route, we go by a
place called Aberdeen. Sometimes the train stops there;
sometimes it does not. We have seen Aberdeen Proving
Grounds literally consolidated from around the country.
Much of the important research activity the Army does is
at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. The person more than
anybody else who has made that possible is Barbara
Mikulski. It is a vast facility, with tens of thousands of
employees who I think are mostly civilian and a campus of
over 100,000 acres that does great work, helping to
provide for our defense against all kinds of attack,
foreign and domestic. She is a great person to have on
your side in leading that fight.
One of the other things I love about Barbara is her
devotion to first responders. There is a big national fire
school in a town called Gaithersburg, MD. She has helped
make that place possible to not only train folks who are
first responders for the people of Maryland, but they
train as well first responders for virtually every State
in every corner of this Nation. People will go to bed
tonight knowing that if there is a fire or a problem or an
incident in their community, it will be responded to, and
they can thank Barbara Mikulski for helping to ensure the
folks trained there are ready to do that.
As much as anybody I know, she is a person who values
service. AmeriCorps is an organization that encourages
young people--really people of all ages--to volunteer and
to serve. Volunteers are the ages of our pages and a whole
lot older and the ages of guys like me. We all have an
obligation to serve and to bring that spirit of service,
whether or not we are in public life.
I was struck by the fact that she often opened the store
as a kid, beginning a lot of her days as her dad opened
the family grocery store, early in the morning in East
Baltimore. I was born in West Virginia in a town called
Beckley. I lived there for about the first 6 years or so
of my life, but I would go back many summers, and I had
the opportunity to work there for a supermarket, a mom and
pop supermarket, with my own grandfather who opened the
store almost 6 days a week, and I had the opportunity to
see him and his work and what he brought to that store
every day as the butcher. I think I know more about
serving by working my summers in that store than anything
else I have ever done. I suspect one of the reasons
Barbara has adopted and retained the spirit of a servant
is because of her childhood and growing up and seeing her
own family, her own dad, in that particular store.
I mentioned my grandfather in West Virginia. His wife,
my grandmother, suffered from Alzheimer's disease. My
grandmother's mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease. My
own mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease. I don't
think there is anybody in this body who has done more to
lead the fight to ensure that this scourge of our
society--and the scourge of people all over the world--is
reined in and overcome. When that day comes, people will
stand and say, ``I did something about this.'' Nobody in
this body I think can take more credit for conquering
Alzheimer's disease and dementia than Barbara Mikulski.
Finally, when people think of Barbara, they think of a
fighter, an advocate for volunteerism, and some of the
other things I talked about. I don't know that many people
think of her as an athlete, but I will say that she is a
very big advocate for leveling the playing field. She
wants to make sure people not just in athletic endeavors
have a level playing field in which to compete, but she
wants to make sure young people coming from the most
impoverished backgrounds have an opportunity and have a
real shot at life to get a decent education as a child,
the chance to go to college and to increase their
potential to not just earn money and support their
families but to live productive lives. Those are just some
of the things I think about when I think of Barbara
Mikulski.
I will close by saying she had been in the House I think
for 6 years when I arrived in 1982, 1983, and for all the
time we served there together, she was always very
encouraging of me, very supportive of me as her Delmarva
buddy, as we shared the Delmarva Peninsula. Even to this
day we work together to make sure we have a strong,
vibrant poultry industry on the Delmarva Peninsula. I like
to say we are still Delmarva buddies as we look out for
the mutual concerns of our respective States.
With that having been said, let me yield back my time. I
see Senator Cantwell is ready to speak. My guess is, she
is going to say some more things about Barbara. But those
are some things I am glad I had a chance to say.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I do rise to celebrate the
remarkable achievements of my colleague from Maryland,
Senator Mikulski.
Last January we celebrated an obvious achievement of her
becoming the longest serving female Senator. Last Saturday
that milestone entered another chapter, with her 12,858
days of serving the people of Maryland in Congress, which
means she is now the longest serving female Member of
Congress.
I know Barbara Mikulski started her career fighting for
Fells Point, a particular location in the Baltimore area
that she thought deserved and needed to be protected, and
that galvanized her to 35 years of service, where she has
been a trailblazer on so many issues.
Many people have talked about those today--about being
the first woman elected to statewide office in Maryland,
the first Democratic woman to serve in both Houses of
Congress; the first Democratic woman to sit in a Senate
leadership position, and the first Democratic woman to be
elected to the Senate in her own right.
Throughout her career, she has faithfully provided a
very strong voice for the people of Maryland. But it is
here in the Senate we have all gotten to see Barbara
Mikulski, the dean of the women Senators, and to see her
incredible work as a trailblazer on so many important
issues.
She has been a tireless champion on issues from pay
equity to increasing access to college education, for
women's health, for women's health care law, and time and
time again she has proven she knows how to fight on the
right side of the issues.
For the women of the Senate, she is an incredibly
important ally. When it comes to each of us who comes to
the U.S. Senate, to find our way and to make our own mark,
Barbara Mikulski is the Senator who is always there with
you to make sure you can achieve what you want for the
State you represent.
I know for me I am very excited--my colleague from
Alabama was mentioning Senator Mikulski's love of NASA and
space exploration--in that I can say Senator Mikulski is
certainly interested also in sci-fi, and I would call her
a ``techie'' Senator because she certainly has shown a
great deal of interest in technology and science.
As the chair of the Commerce, Justice, and Science
Appropriations Subcommittee, she was a key partner in the
funding of key science and technology issues, and for us
in the State of Washington, when we needed a new Doppler
radar technology system, she was there to help ensure that
those people who lived in coastal regions were going to
have the appropriate protections they needed for
understanding inclement weather.
She also has helped in prioritizing efforts such as the
cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland--something we in
the Northwest relate to because we strive to have the same
cleanup of Puget Sound.
We have worked together on important legislation, such
as passing the Lilly Ledbetter legislation.
It is Barbara Mikulski--when it comes to protecting
women's access to health care or standing up to any attack
on Medicare--who is the most articulate, the most
determined, the most persevering advocate to make sure
women's issues and their cause are understood in the U.S.
Senate.
I was proud to stand with her when she went up against
the House plan to defund critical women's health care
access and there was a near shutdown of government. As
people tried to pressure Planned Parenthood, she was there
to make sure we continued important programs such as
breast cancer screening.
So today I join my colleagues from the Senate to thank
her for those years of service in the U.S. Congress, both
in the House and the Senate. While she may represent
Maryland, we all want to claim that we are better off as a
country having Barbara Mikulski in the U.S. Senate.
To my colleagues--or to the young people who are here
with us on the Senate floor--to understand this moment and
achievement, you have to understand that in the whole
history of our country, there have only been 39 women
Senators, and a good number of those women Senators only
served a few days or a few years. So the fact that
somebody has achieved not just a seat in the U.S. Senate
but a leadership position in the U.S. Senate is an
incredible achievement.
We are glad she has represented a time when women have
ascended to leadership in the U.S. Senate, where she is
considered one of the wise Members when it comes to
strategy on so many policy issues.
We are better off as a body because Barbara Mikulski has
served with us, and we are looking forward to many more
years of wisdom and, hopefully, many more women Senators
joining the ranks of Barbara Mikulski in their tenure.
I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I rise today also to pay
tribute to my colleague, the senior Senator from Maryland,
Barbara Mikulski.
As everyone has said, this is a landmark, this is a
milestone: the longest serving woman Senator and Member of
Congress in the history of Congress, serving more than 35
years.
As a relatively junior Member of this body, I love
Barbara Mikulski. I love her because she calls me
``Franken.'' That is music to my ears. We are in the
caucus lunch, I may be in her way, and she says:
``Franken.''
I am not only a relatively junior Senator, I actually
kind of recently was a comedian at one point. And she is
really funny--Barbara. I remember the first time I saw her
speak--it was years ago; I cannot remember what the event
was--and I am going to try to quote her joke. It was her
joke, remember, about herself. She talked about her first
campaign effort. I think it was for city council or
something like that. She said, ``I knocked on 7,387 doors,
and I walked a total of 372 miles, and I didn't lose a
pound.''
So I love Barbara. And she is a force of nature. Being
the dean of women here is not her most commanding title.
Her most commanding title is: a fighter. She is a fighter.
When she commits herself to a cause, she is a true
champion.
She is a true champion for America's seniors, preserving
pensions; of Medicare, defending Medicare--boy, do not
attack Medicare around Barbara Mikulski; and combating
poverty. No one works harder for quality education,
fighting to make sure every child has a quality education,
so that child can pursue the American dream. She is
committed to fulfilling our country's promises to our
veterans, which is so important, and to increasing
community service and voluntarism.
As anyone who has watched proceedings here in the Senate
knows, Barbara Mikulski, as my colleague from Washington
stated, is the greatest champion in the body for women's
health. Here is something that is pretty amazing to
understand. I want the pages to hear this. She fought to
include women in NIH clinical trials. Women were not
included in the National Institutes of Health clinical
trials until she made sure they were. This is hard to
believe, isn't it? But in your 16 years of life, you--at
16, you cannot conceive of this. This is how backward we
were. Think of what she did. That is who we are talking
about today.
She has improved access for women to mammograms and
cancer screenings--for all women. She has fought for women
to have their own say over their own body and reproductive
system. Basically what I am saying is, when you have
Barbara Mikulski on your side, you have a strong voice in
the U.S. Senate.
We have heard reference to her accomplishment on the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. When advocating for this
bill, Senator Mikulski said:
Women earn just 77 cents for every dollar [their] male
counterparts make. Women of color get paid even less. The
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will empower women to fight
for fair pay by once again making employers accountable
for pay discrimination. I will fight on the Senate floor
to get this bill passed.
And the bill was passed. It was the first bill President
Obama signed in office.
Senator Mikulski and I share a number of passions. One
of them is early childhood education. Increasing early
childhood education--access to it--is one of my top
priorities because we know over and over that the benefits
of early childhood education have been demonstrated. And
Barbara knows this.
I wanted to have a hearing on just the economic benefits
of early childhood education because a child who has a
quality early childhood education is less likely to be a
special ed kid, is less likely to be left back a grade,
has better health outcomes; a girl is less likely to get
pregnant before she graduates from high school, a child is
more likely to graduate high school, more likely to go to
college, more likely to graduate college, more likely to
get a good-paying job and pay taxes, and much less likely
to go to prison. It has been shown over and over that the
cost-benefit is, for every $1 spent, there is like $16 in
return.
I wanted to get a hearing just on this. Because we were
talking about education, I thought this needed to be
discussed, and we needed experts, economists who were
credible on this. So I went to Barbara and she, of course,
said, ``Oh, yeah. OK. Let's do it.'' She is chair of the
Subcommittee on Children and Families. I thought that
would be a good place to do it, except I am not on that
subcommittee. I am on the HELP Committee, which this is a
subcommittee of, but I am not on that subcommittee. She
said, ``OK, that doesn't matter. You come anyway.'' And
not only that but: ``Which witness do you want?''
She let me pick a witness, Art Rolnick, an expert in
early childhood education--on the economics of it--who
started out as an economist at the Federal Reserve in
Minneapolis and got into the economic benefits of it.
She is a true ally. She is someone who used her
resources as chairwoman of a committee to make sure
something you felt strongly about would be aired, would be
discussed.
You learn from Barbara that what we do around here is
not so much about policy, it is about people. For her, it
is about the people of Maryland. She goes to bat for them
time and time again. It is about kids. It is about women,
who often have to be both the breadwinner and the
caregiver, and who should have every right and every
opportunity at work and in society that men have.
As both a Member of the Senate and as a father of a
wonderful daughter, I am enormously grateful to Senator
Mikulski for being a tremendous role model to women in
this country, for having fought her way to the Senate, and
for proving that legislating was not a man's job--or only
a man's job--it is a man's job too.
This body is so much the richer for her, and Americans
are so much better off as a result. But her work, our work
is not over. Out of 100 Senators, there are still only 17
women. Our Nation is facing tremendously difficult
challenges, and having more women like Senator Mikulski in
the room will help us solve those problems. I am glad she
is here leading the way.
With that, I would like to thank Barbara for her
leadership, her friendship, and for being such a fierce
advocate. Congratulations, Barbara, on your achievements
thus far and on this milestone. I look forward to many
years fighting alongside you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise, along with so many
colleagues, to pay tribute to Senator Barbara Mikulski, an
extraordinary woman and Senator, someone who has become
the longest serving woman in the history of the Senate,
indeed, in the history of the Congress. She surpassed, on
January 5, 2011, the record of Republican Senator Margaret
Chase Smith as the longest serving Senator. Just this
Saturday, she became the longest serving woman in the
history of the Congress, surpassing the tenure of Edith
Nourse Rogers, a Republican Congresswoman from
Massachusetts, who served in the House from 1925 to 1960.
In 1986, Senator Mikulski was the first female Democrat
to be elected to the Senate in her own right. She is a
woman of many firsts. She is indeed a dean of the Senate
women--I would actually say the dean of the Senate, with
her great energy, her great eloquence, and her great
passion, particularly for those who are often overlooked
in our society. She comes at it honestly. She was a social
worker in Baltimore, helping at-risk children and
educating seniors about Medicare before being elected to
the House of Representatives.
She has taken that concern for the vulnerable and a
particular passion for the State of Maryland forward every
day she has served in the House and Senate. She has served
on numerous committees. She is a subcommittee chairperson
on the Appropriations Committee--Commerce, Justice, and
Science. She has devoted herself to those issues, and many
more. She serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence
and has been a key member of the Senate Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions Committee. She has left her mark on a
broad range of programs that touch each and every American
family. She has been particularly active in women's
health, ensuring that women were included in NIH clinical
trials, where in the past they were ignored.
Since one cannot ignore Barbara Mikulski--which is
virtually impossible--she made it a reality that they
cannot ignore women in NIH clinical trials, requiring
Federal standards for mammographies, ensuring uninsured
women have access to screenings and treatment for breast
and cervical cancer. She increased research dollars for
Alzheimer's and enhanced the Older Americans Act.
She has been, since her first days in the House of
Representatives, at the forefront in advocating for better
health care and education particularly for the most
vulnerable among us. She has been a champion of national
service, understanding that in a great country one has to
contribute as well as benefit.
She said one of the things she is most proud of--in her
words:
Strengthening the safety net for seniors by passing the
Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act. This important
legislation helps keep seniors from going bankrupt while
paying for a spouse's nursing home care.
That is a fitting and representative example of her
service. Throughout her service, she has maintained
national priorities but has never taken her eye off
Maryland. She commutes every evening back to Baltimore.
She works hard to ensure that the people in Maryland
benefit because of her activities.
I also thank her for the kindness and help she has given
me personally--her concern, for example, with the fishing
community in Rhode Island, which is under her jurisdiction
on the Appropriations Committee, and in other ways. She
has been terribly important and kind to us. She was
instrumental in helping us to secure funding for the HOPE
VI Project in Newport, RI, which has created extraordinary
beneficial housing for a mix of incomes in Newport. It is
one of the most attractive as well as one of the most
stable communities I think anyplace in the Nation. She has
been there to help us constantly.
I could go on and on, as my colleagues have said. I
simply want to say at this special moment in Senator
Mikulski's career, we thank her, admire her, respect her,
and she has set a great example for us. In the days ahead,
she will not only continue to inspire and sustain us, she
will continue to sustain and lead in her State.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, some time ago, I was
reading a book about the beginnings of the interstate
highway system in our country. I came across a paragraph
when the highway builders and the Federal Government were
going to run the interstate highway through some stable
middle-class, working-class neighborhoods of Baltimore.
The highway administration was greeted by an organizer
who, on behalf of citizens of this neighborhood, said this
is not the place to put this highway. She was successful
in convincing them that the highway should go elsewhere so
it would not be disruptive of so many homes, well-
established small businesses, and the cohesive community
in that part of Baltimore. The woman who led that effort
several decades ago was Barbara Mikulski. She was not yet
on the city council. She was a citizen who spoke for her
neighbors and has continued to do that as a member of the
city council and then as a Member of the House of
Representatives and for many years--2\1/2\ decades--of the
Senate.
We heard Senator Reid and others earlier today talk
about Senator Mikulski being the first female Democrat to
serve in both the House and Senate--to be elected to the
Senate without succeeding a husband or a father and first
to chair an appropriations subcommittee. Most important,
she helped to blaze this path. In 1987, there were only
two female Senators. One was the daughter of a
Presidential nominee a generation earlier, and the other
was Barbara Mikulski. Today, there are 17 female Members
of the Senate. It doesn't look like America yet. There is
not anything close to the number of minority Members as a
percentage of the population, but I hope that changes. I
think it will. It doesn't come close to representing the
gender makeup of our society. But to go from 2 female
Senators, when she first came, to 17 today--and if I can
predict elections, which none of us can, and we certainly
cannot try--I think there is a good chance there will be a
number of additional women in this body this time next
year.
I wish to say a couple more things about Senator
Mikulski on a less serious note. I have been privileged to
serve on two committees with Senator Mikulski--one being
the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
During the health care legislation, she was so helpful to
so many of the causes we care about and to justice in this
country, and on the Appropriations Committee, where she
cuts a wide swathe of involvement for Maryland and this
country, she champions women's health, and many talked
about this earlier. She cares so much about the National
Institutes of Health, not just because it is located in
Maryland but because it matters so much for scientific
research, for curing a whole host of diseases and
preventing diseases, and the number of jobs NIH creates,
not just government jobs but the jobs that come out of
commercialization of scientific research.
My State is one of the leaders; whether the jobs come
out of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Southwest Hospital,
and where Case Western Reserve University is and its
medical center around Cleveland, we see that kind of
commercialization.
I often call her Coach B because she is someone who has
been around here a long time and is always willing to
advise newer and younger Members. She has been following,
especially in my State, what is important, the issue of
health care. My State has some of the leading health care
institutions in America. Also, what she has done with the
space program--the only NASA facility north of the Mason-
Dixon line is in Cleveland, with a satellite in Sandusky,
NASA Glenn, named after former Senator and astronaut, John
Glenn. She has been one of the strongest advocates for the
space program, and science, technology, and research and
development. She has been particularly helpful to me as I
fight for the kind of work NASA Glenn does in Cleveland,
and I am appreciative of her for that.
I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a
quorum.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF TRIBUTES AND STATEMENTS
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent there
be printed as a Senate document a compilation of materials
from the Congressional Record in tribute to Senator
Barbara Mikulski, and that Members have until Thursday,
March 29, to submit such tributes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I have been able to listen a
bit over the last few hours to the wonderful tributes to
Senator Mikulski. We all know of her wonderful service all
these years, the record that is being shattered--a very
special record.
As I listened to some of the comments, I was struck that
tributes usually come in the Senate when one of our
colleagues is leaving office or sometimes one of our
colleagues passes away. And what I am struck by this
afternoon is how glad I am and colleagues on both sides of
the aisle are that Senator Mikulski is very much alive,
and next week and next month and in the years ahead she is
going to continue to bring this kind of wellspring of
conscience and energy and passion and expertise to the
Senate.
I am going to have more to say in terms of a lengthier
speech, but she and I have had a special relationship for
almost three decades. We served together in the other body
on the Energy and Commerce Committee. We would often show
up at meetings together, and this is still a tradition
that continues now because we both have the honor of
serving on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Senator Mikulski and I would walk in together, and she
would smile and say, ``Now the long and short of it are
arriving.'' And I guess that is true in a literal sense,
but while Senator Mikulski may be modest in stature, she
has one very large record on behalf of the public
interest, and I am especially grateful for all she has
done for people without power and people without clout.
When we think about what has so angered the American
people--and I have heard the Senator from Colorado, the
Presiding Officer, talk about this--it is that people feel
so disconnected from government; that you can have a
community meeting in Oregon or Colorado or Maryland or
some other part of the country, and somehow there is this
sense what goes on in Washington really has nothing to do
with people in their home community.
Senator Mikulski doesn't practice public service that
way. Senator Mikulski has always felt, since the days when
she was a community organizer and they were dealing with
those community problems and where are you going to locate
a freeway or something of that nature, that public service
and community service were always about being connected to
people. She understood right away what people may say at a
townhall meeting now in Colorado or Oregon about
government being removed from their lives, and for decades
she has practiced a very different kind of public service.
She did it when she was a community organizer; she did it
in the House of Representatives; and she continues to do
it today.
Very often when we take the subway to a vote and I ask
her what she has done over the weekend, she will talk
about families. She knows I was codirector of the Gray
Panthers for many years before I was elected to Congress,
so we will talk about aging issues. And everybody knows
what she has done in the aging field and her interest in
fighting Alzheimer's. So it always comes back to people,
and that connection she brings to public service that is
so lacking from what Americans see is the big problem in
government today, that much of what goes on here is simply
disconnected from their lives.
What I see in Barbara Mikulski is the real measure of
what we want in a public servant. We want someone who is
conscientious; we want someone who is smart; we want
someone who has good values and someone who always tries
to be a coalition builder.
I have watched Senator Mikulski in lots of instances. We
had one just recently where Senator Mikulski was trying to
find a balance on a difficult and contentious issue
between industry and the environment, and I watched how
she was trying to listen to both sides. Maryland has some
communities where they have older plants, and if she can't
take steps to protect those plants and have the workers
keep their jobs, a lot of people are going to hurt, and
Senator Mikulski always tries to keep that from happening.
She has also said clean air and the environmental laws are
important. And that last quality of trying to bring people
together, which I have heard the Senator from Colorado
talk about, is what Senator Mikulski's public service
career has been all about.
So tonight and through the day we have heard colleagues
pay tribute. I made mention of the fact that so often I
hear these tributes when a colleague is leaving the
Senate. I would like to close these brief remarks by
saying that I am especially grateful that the cause of
good government is enhanced by the fact that Senator
Mikulski is very much alive. This is not a tribute to
someone who is leaving office, this is a tribute to
someone who is going to be here next week, next month, and
the years ahead, continuing to shatter those records as
she advocates for people who don't have big lobbies, who
don't have lots of political clout and can't go out and
hire PR firms and well-paid and well-tailored advocates to
walk the halls of the Senate. She is there for those
people who don't have a voice. She has been there for
those people ever since she was a community organizer in
those early days in Baltimore.
When I think about trying to give public service a good
name, I think about Barbara Mikulski--our wonderful
friend, Senator Barbara Mikulski, the senior Senator from
the State of Maryland. We thank her for giving public
service a good name. We thank her for taking on the
battles and the fights she has in the past. And we are all
especially grateful that at the end of this tribute she
will be back at her post a few seats from me, standing for
those values and standing for those causes that are so
important to the well-being of this country.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I may be the last speaker
of the day, but I did not want to leave the Chamber or the
building without taking a moment to come to the floor, as
so many of our colleagues did today, to honor one of our
own, one of our favorites. Not only is she a favorite to
us but I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is
one of the favorite Senators ever to represent the State
of Maryland. She is respected, she is beloved, and she is
admired by millions of her constituents from Maryland, but
I can promise you that is true of constituents in
Louisiana, potentially in your home State, Madam
President, and throughout the world.
Last Saturday our friend and colleague Senator Barbara
Mikulski of Maryland became the longest serving woman in
the history of the Congress. I can only say that we have
come a long way since the first woman was appointed, as I
recall back in the 1920s. She was only allowed to serve 1
day and was not going to be given a paycheck but insisted
that she be paid for her service. I think she might have
been paid $1 for her service.
Of course, the record of that 1 day on the floor speaks
for itself. We have come a long way since that day.
Barbara Mikulski was first elected to the House in 1976,
and then to the Senate 10 years later. When she first
entered this Chamber, there was only one other woman here,
her friend and her good, strong, supportive colleague,
Nancy Kassebaum, a Republican from Kansas. So a Democrat
from Maryland and a Republican from Kansas, but the two of
them were quite a team and Barbara Mikulski speaks fondly
of her days with Senator Nancy Kassebaum. Today there are
17 of us and proudly we continue that tradition of respect
and bipartisanship set in large measure by 2 of the women
we greatly admire.
The late Representative Edith Nourse Rogers of
Massachusetts, who served from 1925 to 1960, had
previously held the record for the longest serving woman
in Congress. Breaking this record is only one of the many
milestones Senator Mikulski has accomplished during her
tenure in the Senate. But, as she would so quickly say, it
is not how long you serve but how well you serve. It is
not the length of your service, as she said to us so many
times, but the quality of your service. We could not have
a better role model--in terms of effectiveness, strength,
tenacity, courage, boldness--than in our own Senator
Barbara Mikulski.
She was the first female Democrat, the first in the
history of our country, to serve in both Chambers of
Congress, the first female Democrat to be elected to the
Senate without succeeding a husband or a father, and the
first female to chair an appropriations committee.
I serve on the Appropriations Committee. It is one of
the most powerful committees in our Congress. When I think
about the fact that it took over 225 years for a woman to
get the gavel on just 1 of the 14 subcommittees--that
number has changed over the decades--but if you think
about it, from the beginning of our country's history,
those early days through the expansion out West, through
the Civil War, post-Civil War history, the early part of
the 1900s, World War I, World War II--never did a woman
hold a gavel to write one budget for one committee in the
entire country, until Barbara Mikulski received one of
those gavels.
I can tell you from personal experience serving with her
on that committee, our country is a better place--in
health, in welfare, our space program, our science and
technology programs--because Barbara Mikulski has used
that gavel not to promote herself but to promote the
people she serves and the principles for which she fights.
She is well respected for her wisdom, for her tenacity
and her strength. She is respected by female and male
peers who serve with her. As most of my female colleagues
in the Senate have also experienced, Senator Mikulski took
me under her wing when I was first sworn in as a Senator.
She extended her hand to help me in every way possible, to
help me find my footing here as a Senator and to navigate
through the intricacies of the Senate process. She was
never too busy to hold out a helping hand or for a pat on
the shoulder. She was always willing to give that extra
advice and, I might say, was always willing to suggest
that you might have made a mistake--try it a little
different way the next time--not one to mince words, but
as a good Big Sister would take us under her wing and help
us out as any good Big Sister would do.
In addition to that wonderful, helpful, and thoughtful
gesture that she shared with me and so many, she has been
an inspiration to many women, particularly young women who
have looked up to her, trying to follow in her footsteps.
I can only say that this Senate and this Congress--the
people of Maryland, the people of our country and women
throughout the world--have been blessed by her leadership.
What has touched me the most about watching her is the
fearlessness in which she serves. She does not back down.
She knows herself, she is comfortable in her own skin, and
she doesn't try to be someone she is not. She is very
proud of her Polish-American background, always proud to
talk about the bakery her parents owned, her immigrant
background, and always so willing to share from her heart
as well as her mind some of what she believes.
She has been nothing but an inspiration to me and to
many. I am so glad I could come to the floor today, I am
so glad. I think almost every one of our colleagues has
made it to the floor to honor her. When God made Barbara
Mikulski, he threw away the mold. I don't think there will
ever be another one like her. There most certainly isn't
anyone in politics today who is like her. That is good, to
be unique in that way. She will be long remembered. I hope
she will serve here for many wonderful years to come.
I yield the floor.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Madam President, I rise today to join my
colleagues in congratulating Senator Barbara Mikulski from
Maryland on becoming the longest serving woman in the
history of Congress. Senator Mikulski has thus reinforced
her distinctive mark on this institution and her
unmistakable place in our Nation's history.
Those who have worked beside Senator Mikulski know her
to be a dynamic force of nature. While she is not the
tallest Senator, she reaches the greatest heights with her
strong principles, indomitable spirit, and steely resolve.
From the neighborhoods of East Baltimore to the Halls of
Congress, she has spent her career in the political
trenches fighting for others--for women, for working
Americans, and for her beloved Maryland. Senator Mikulski
has been a practical leader for better women's health
care. She fought to have women included in clinical trials
and medical research at the National Institutes of Health
and helped establish Federal standards for mammograms.
Her impact is not only felt in the lives of those she
serves, but also in her relationships with those she
serves with. At this time in our politics when the
partisanship pulls us apart, when tribal instincts have
coarsened our discourse and weakened our bonds, Senator
Mikulski is a unifying force of comity in the Senate. She
brings a sense of civility and a sense of humor to this
institution at a time when both are sorely needed.
Women Senators fondly know Senator Mikulski as their
dean. She hosts regular bipartisan dinners for them and is
a trusted mentor. She understands that while many of us
come to Congress with competing goals, at the end of the
day, we are colleagues. We have to work together. Unless
we can affirm our bonds as colleagues and fellow humans,
the work we are tasked with by the American people will
not get done, and the public interest will suffer as a
result.
Senator Mikulski's remarkable career continues to
inspire women across our country on the nobility of public
service and the ability for one person to bring about
positive change in the lives of others. It is a pleasure
to serve beside her, and I wish her my very best for many
more productive years here in the Senate.
Mr. BENNET. Madam President, today I want to honor
Senator Barbara Mikulski, who has represented the people
of Maryland for more than 35 years, and who earlier this
week became the longest serving female Member of Congress.
Senator Mikulski is a fighter, a fearless leader, and a
role model for women and young girls everywhere, including
my three daughters, Caroline, Halina, and Anne.
During the course of her distinguished career, Senator
Mikulski has been an incredibly effective advocate, and in
particular has taken a leadership role in mentoring other
women as they follow in her footsteps to the Halls of
Congress. She has represented Maryland exceptionally
well--on issues ranging from civil rights and the
environment, to issues affecting working families and our
criminal justice system.
Tracking Senator Mikulski's career is also a good way to
follow the progress of women in our country. When first
elected to Congress for Maryland's Third District in 1976,
Senator Mikulski was 1 of 21 women serving in Congress.
Today there are 93 women serving, thanks in large part to
the trailblazing efforts of Senator Mikulski.
Through her work in an array of roles, from the women's
amendment in the Affordable Care Act to her leadership on
the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families, Senator
Mikulski is known as a coalition builder. This role has
led her to cultivate personal and professional
partnerships among the Members of the Senate. Likely some
of the country's most important work is done during the
bipartisan dinners she frequently hosts for her female
Senate colleagues.
I am proud that my first vote as a Senator in January
2009 was in favor of one of Senator Mikulski's bills, the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which guarantees women equal
pay for equal work. And I have thoroughly enjoyed working
with her in the Senate HELP Committee on Elementary and
Secondary Education Act reauthorization and passage of the
Affordable Care Act. I look forward to continuing to work
with Senator Mikulski on these and other important issues
in the Senate.
March is Women's History Month, and I can think of no
better time to honor and reflect on what Senator
Mikulski's work has meant to the U.S. Senate and to her
constituents in Maryland. Let us follow the leadership of
Senator Barbara Mikulski and continue to fight for a
better America.
Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I want to join my
colleagues in today's well-deserved accolades for my
friend, Barbara Mikulski.
The other day, as often happens to most of us here, I
found myself temporarily waylaid by an informal scrum of
reporters in one of the Capitol hallways. And, unknown to
me, I was blocking Senator Mikulski's path. She made me
aware of that fact in her distinctive and typically
endearing way: ``Hey, Tall and Lanky--make way for Short
and Stocky!'' she said.
But it is not just that humor and good nature that makes
Barbara Mikulski such a great colleague and friend. As a
resident and colleague from an adjoining State, I respect
all she has done at the local level, in the U.S. House and
now in the Senate, to move the National Capital Region
forward in terms of the regional ties that join together
this special region where we live and work.
You see, Virginia and Maryland share more than just a
common border. Our two States are home to hundreds of
thousands of hard-working and under-appreciated Federal
workers and retirees. Our States share safety and funding
concerns related to Metro. We each have a shared
responsibility in our stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay.
Maryland and Virginia also share world-class NASA
facilities on the Eastern Shore.
As a friend, I appreciate her leadership role in helping
this first-time legislator--and recovering former
Governor--make the sometimes difficult adjustment to this
body. As the father of three daughters, I am grateful for
the doors Senator Mikulski has opened--and sometimes
kicked-open--for young women.
Senator Mikulski truly is a force of nature. She is
tough, focused, and extremely effective. And as these
testimonials demonstrate, Senator Mikulski is widely
respected and loved by current and former Members of this
body.
I am pleased to join these colleagues in thanking
Senator Mikulski for her service, her leadership, and her
friendship.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Mr. HARKIN. Madam President, I join with the entire
Senate family in congratulating my great friend, the
distinguished senior Senator from Maryland, Barbara
Mikulski, on becoming the longest serving female Member of
Congress in our Nation's history. She reached that
milestone recently, having served in Congress for 12,858
days--more than 35 years--surpassing the previous longest
serving Member of Congress, the late Representative Edith
Nourse Rogers.
Representative Rogers famously quipped, ``The first 30
years are the hardest.'' But I dare say that Senator
Mikulski has had a somewhat different experience. As with
other pathbreaking women, she has encountered sexism and
discrimination. But from her first day in the House in
1977 right up to today, in her much respected role as dean
of women Senators, Barbara Mikulski has been a singularly
formidable and forceful public servant. Pity the
Representative or Senator who has made the mistake of in
any way underestimating this remarkable person.
For three-and-a-half decades in Congress, Barbara
Mikulski has been an outspoken and proud progressive--a
tireless advocate for quality public education, access to
health care, and a strong safety net for those she calls
``the least of these our sisters and brothers''--including
the elderly, people with disabilities, and the poor. Her
passion for social and economic justice was nurtured by
the nuns who taught her at Catholic school in working-
class East Baltimore.
Senator Mikulski's legislative accomplishments are too
numerous to cite here. I am particularly grateful for the
lead role that she played in early 2009 in passing the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act--the very first
bill signed into law by President Obama. This law reversed
an outrageous Supreme Court decision that allowed
discrimination against women to go unpunished. But, as
Senator Mikulski knows all too well, even the Lilly
Ledbetter Act leaves in place an outrageous status quo
where women are paid only 77 cents for every dollar that
their male counterparts are paid. That is why she and I
have continued to work closely together to advance the
cause of equal pay. We are the respective leads on the two
Democratic equal pay bills in the Senate.
As chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee, I want to pay special tribute to the
extraordinary role she has long played on our committee.
Senator Mikulski's legislative skills and leadership
were critically important in crafting and passing the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2 years ago--an
achievement that she calls one of the ``greatest social
justice initiatives'' of our time. She led the team that
wrote the quality title in the bill, insisting that higher
quality care does not have to be higher cost care. Thanks
to Senator Mikulski, the health care reform law includes a
whole range of provisions that shift the emphasis--
rewarding providers not for quantity of service but for
quality of service. I would add that throughout the debate
on health care reform and during the many months the bill
was being written, Senator Mikulski was a fierce advocate
for women's health and for ending the brazen
discrimination against women by health insurance
companies.
On the HELP Committee, and also in her role as chair of
the appropriations subcommittee that funds the Legal
Services Corporation, Senator Mikulski has been a great
leader on another issue near and dear to my heart: legal
services for the poor. She has fought hard--and it has
always been an uphill struggle--to provide adequate
funding so that people without resources are not barred
from the courthouse door.
Of course, Senator Mikulski has also been one of the
Senate's leading proponents of national and community
service. In 2009, she was the Senate manager for the
Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which retooled our
national service programs for the 21st century and
provided expanded opportunities for young people to gain
valuable skills and experience by helping neighbors in
need.
Let me share a brief anecdote that illustrates the
remarkable role that Senator Mikulski plays in the body
and the respect that she commands among her colleagues. We
all remember the debate, in late February, on the Blunt
amendment, which would have allowed employers to deny
health insurance coverage for contraception. In my role as
chair of the HELP Committee, I was invited to attend a
press conference in the LBJ Room of the Capitol organized
by Senator Mikulski to speak out against the amendment.
Let me tell you, this was a remarkable event. Senator
Mikulski spoke first, with tremendous power and passion.
One by one, other Senators spoke--women who, over the
decades, have been counseled and mentored by Senator
Mikulski: Senator Patty Murray of Washington, Senators
Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California, and
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. Senator
Mikulski's message, echoed by the other Senators, was
characteristically loud and clear: Decisions about medical
care should be made by a woman and her doctor, not a woman
and her boss. Needless to say, Senator Mikulski carried
the day; the amendment was defeated.
Other Senators have noted Senator Mikulski's many
firsts, including the first woman elevated to a leadership
position in the Senate. I would simply add that Barbara
Mikulski is also first when it comes to a Senator being
true to her roots, a fierce and effective champion for her
State and passionate fighter for social and economic
justice. Again, I salute the Senator on reaching the
historic milestone as the longest serving female Member of
Congress, and I wish her many more years of distinguished
service to our Nation.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, with all of the
very well-deserved statements that have been made about
our colleague Senator Barbara Mikulski, I wanted to raise
my voice in support of the milestone she recently achieved
as the longest serving woman in congressional history.
A personal word I want to add about Senator Mikulski is
that she has been so supportive and such a leader of our
Nation's space program. As the chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and
Science, she has to be intimately familiar with the
details and the appropriate way to allocate funds that are
vital for our civilian program to go forward in the
visionary and frontier breaking manner that it always has,
and I am grateful for her leadership. I wanted to add this
to the accolades that she so well deserves and has already
heard from so many of our colleagues.
Senator Mikulski began her tenure in Congress in 1977 as
a Member of the House of Representatives. She represented
Maryland's Third District for 10 years before moving to
the Senate in 1986.
During her time in the Senate, Senator Mikulski has been
a champion for many of the issues that are particularly
important to my fellow Floridians and me. She is a strong
supporter of veterans' and seniors' issues.
Senator Mikulski has also worked to protect our oceans
by supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, especially during one of the worst
environmental disasters we've seen. In 2010 she conducted
a subcommittee hearing to explore the use of dispersants
in response to the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf,
helping us to better understand the long-term consequences
of that environmental tragedy.
Senator Mikulski also serves as chairman for the Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Children
and Families. In December, she chaired a hearing on child
abuse, casting light on this issue and urging her
colleagues to take greater steps to combat it.
I am honored to have served with Senator Mikulski for
the past decade, and I look forward to continuing to work
with her on matters of great importance to Maryland,
Florida, and the rest of the country.
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in
honoring the service of the Senator from Maryland, Barbara
Mikulski, on becoming the longest serving woman in the
history of Congress. She is an inspiration, a mentor, and
a friend, and I congratulate her on achieving this
historic milestone.
The story of Barbara Mikulski is the story of the
American dream. The daughter of a grocer in Baltimore, she
learned what it meant to do a hard day's work. She got
good grades, went to college, and eventually got her
master's degree in social work.
When she was in her twenties, she got involved in a
fight to stop a highway proposal that would have cut
through a working class neighborhood. She stopped that
highway and saved the homes of the families who lived
there.
Those families saw something that day that all of us
would recognize today: a woman of passion, hard work, and
determination.
Throughout her years of service, she has reflected these
values day in and day out as she has fought for America's
working families. She understands that our country needs
to make things and grow things if we are going to have a
middle class and an American dream. She understands the
dignity of work, and how important that is to families who
want to create a better future for their children, just as
Barbara's family did for her.
In her many years of leadership and service, she has
been fighting every day to create a better future for
every little girl and boy in Maryland. She did not come
here for the power; she came here to serve. I think that
is why the people of Maryland have chosen her, time and
time again, to be their champion in the U.S. Senate.
In the whole history of the United States, 1,931 people
have served in the U.S. Senate. Of those, 39 were women.
And of those, 17 are serving right now. And of those, only
one--Senator Barbara Mikulski--is our dean and our mentor.
I want to thank my friend, Senator Mikulski, for all she
has done for me and for all the women who will follow in
her footsteps in the years to come.
Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, the Senate is in the midst of
recognizing a very important milestone in our history. I
would like to join my Senate colleagues in congratulating
Senator Barbara Mikulski as the longest serving female
Member of Congress.
As we all know, Senator Mikulski has dedicated her life
to public service. Before running for public office,
Senator Mikulski served as a social worker helping at-risk
children and educating seniors on Medicare. In 1971, she
successfully ran for her first public office and was
elected to serve in the Baltimore City Council, where she
served for 5 years.
Senator Mikulski first ran for Congress in 1976, seeking
to represent Maryland's Third District. She won that race
and went on to hold the seat for a decade. In 1986 she
decided to run for the U.S. Senate, and she has been
serving here ever since. The Senate was a very different
place when she first arrived as one of two women Senators.
She not only had to learn how the Senate functioned but
had a quick lesson in bipartisanship--as the other woman,
Nancy Kassebaum-Baker, was a Republican from Kansas.
Today, we have 17 women in the Senate and 76 women serving
in the House of Representatives.
Senator Mikulski has been an outspoken advocate for
working people everywhere. Due in large part to her
leadership and strong advocacy on behalf of women, our
daughters and granddaughters will have opportunities that
were not available to many women in the past. She is a
wonderful role model through her dedication to public
service, as she fights passionately every day for the
people of Maryland that she is here to represent.
I want to add my voice to those praising Senator
Mikulski as she reaches this important milestone. She is a
true pioneer, a strong example of a smart legislator, and
an outspoken voice for working people. I have great
respect for the journey she has taken, and I am proud to
serve alongside her.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I wish to add my voice to
those of my colleagues paying tribute to the senior
Senator from Maryland, who recently became the longest
serving female Member of Congress in American history.
Senator Barbara Mikulski and I were first elected to the
Senate at the same time. Over the past 26 years she has
been a colleague, a legislative partner, and a friend.
Courageous, determined, and honorable are only a few of
the words I use when describing Senator Mikulski.
Senator Mikulski has devoted her life to public service.
She began her career as a social worker in Baltimore,
where she worked with high-risk children and educated
seniors about Medicare. In 1971, she transitioned into
politics by attaining a seat on the Baltimore City
Council. As a council member, she continued to advocate
for those in need. In 1976, she was elected to the U.S.
House of Representatives, where she became the first woman
ever to sit on the influential Energy and Commerce
Committee. As a Member of the House, she worked on a
variety of important legislation, including funding for
shelters for battered spouses.
Issues concerning women have always been a passion of
Senator Mikulski's. From sponsoring the Lilly Ledbetter
Fair Pay Act to being a leader in women's health issues,
she has been a champion for women's rights.
Senator Mikulski was particularly helpful to me during
the Grand Forks flooding in 1997. When our third largest
city was devastated by flooding and fire, Senator Mikulski
stood with Grand Forks residents every step of the way as
we fought for Community Development Block Grant funding to
recover and rebuild. Her support was critical. More
recently, Senator Mikulski joined me in pushing for
comparative effectiveness research as part of health
reform, so that patients and doctors can have better
information on which treatments and medical interventions
are most effective and which amount to wasteful spending.
Senator Mikulski is a fierce advocate for her
constituents--and for working men and women everywhere.
She will never back down from a cause she believes in, and
she has compiled an impressive record of results. I
congratulate her on being the longest serving female
Member of Congress.
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, I rise today
to honor a true trailblazer, my colleague Senator Barbara
Mikulski. Earlier this month, she crossed a major
milestone by becoming the longest serving woman in
Congress.
Before she set her sights on Congress, Senator Mikulski
worked as a community activist, social worker, and a
member of the Baltimore City Council. In 1977, she was
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from
Maryland's Third Congressional District. At that time, she
was 1 of only 21 women serving in Congress.
She never let any misguided stereotypes or long odds
slow her down. Ten years later, she won her first race for
the U.S. Senate and in the process became the first
Democratic woman elected to this Chamber from the State of
Maryland. She immediately lent her voice to issues like
education, health care, and national service.
Along the way, she has given a voice not only to
families and the middle class but also sent a powerful
message to women all across this Nation. If there were
ever any doubt, they now know for sure that they deserve a
seat at the table in Congress. Her message is being heard.
Since Senator Mikulski was first elected to the House of
Representatives, the number of women serving in Congress
today has increased to 93.
I have gotten to know Barbara well, especially through
our work on the Senate Appropriations Committee. I know
she would rather we focus on her accomplishments
regardless of her gender, but Senator Mikulski has blazed
an important path. Along the way, she has never forgotten
the value of hard work that was instilled in her from an
early age. She has also built the kind of working
relationships you need to get things done.
There is a reason the people of Maryland have sent
Barbara Mikulski back to the Congress time and again. She
is telling their story and making sure that every voice
has a chance to be heard. I want to congratulate her on
this milestone. It is an important one for her and her
family, and I believe it is symbolic of the gains we have
seen our Nation make since she first was elected to
Congress more than 35 years ago.
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, in 1977, Jimmy Carter became
our Nation's President, Elvis Presley died, and ``Rocky''
won the Oscar as best picture.
It was also the year my colleague, Barbara Mikulski,
came to Congress. She has served since then, for 10 years
in the House and since 1987 in the Senate, with exemplary
dedication to our Nation and its working families. Those
of us who have had the pleasure to serve with her in the
Senate and all the citizens of Maryland who have elected
her to represent them celebrate this moment, for Senator
Mikulski has become the longest serving female Member of
Congress in our Nation's history.
Barbara Mikulski is the first female Democrat to have
served in both the House and the Senate, as well as being
the first Democratic woman to be elected to the Senate
without succeeding a spouse or father. She is, among all
of us, truly a pathbreaker.
When she entered the Senate, there was only one other
female Member of this body. Today, there are 17. Barbara
Mikulski has served as an inspiration, a leader, and a
mentor to generations of women seeking to secure their
rightful place as Members of our Nation's highest
legislative bodies.
Throughout her time in both the House and Senate, she
has worked tirelessly on behalf of the elderly, veterans,
the poor, hard-pressed families, and our Nation's
children. Daughter of a grocer, her roots are in
Baltimore. She may have come a long way to play her
important role here in Washington, but what makes her such
a vital voice in Congress is that she has never lost touch
with the values and needs of the blue collar neighborhood
of Highlandtown where she grew up.
Barbara Mikulski entered politics as an activist and a
populist, and she has remained true to that initial
motivation. Barbara Mikulski genuinely cares about the
people of our Nation--about all the people, not just the
wealthy or the famous or the influential.
She understands the difficulties faced by working
families as their incomes have been stagnant, as unions
have declined, as disparities in wealth and income have
widened dramatically. She is passionately committed to the
importance of education for our young people, just as she
respects and fights for our Nation's elderly and their
security as they negotiate the later years of life.
We serve together on the HELP Committee, on which she
has long been a leader. No one better exemplifies the
values of caring for those who are all too easy to
forget--working families, the elderly, the poor, the
children, than Barbara Mikulski. Having worked with them
both, I know how completely she has taken on the mantle of
her friend Ted Kennedy and kept our committee focused on
those whose needs are greatest.
As we celebrate the inspiration Barbara Mikulski has
been for the women of the Senate, Maryland, and the
country, let's not forget that she has also been an
inspiration to all of us. She has shown us how to fight
for the powerless and how to cast votes based on ethical
values and a deep commitment to our fellow men and women,
not based on political expediency.
For that leadership, both as a great female legislator
and as an accomplished legislator with a lifelong
commitment to improving the lives of all Americans, we
honor her.
Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute
to my esteemed colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski from
the great State of Maryland. I am honored to recognize the
historic achievements of my fellow Senator. On Saturday
she became the longest serving woman in congressional
history after serving more than 35 years in both the House
and Senate. Originally a social worker and community
organizer in Baltimore, Senator Mikulski's congressional
legacy began in 1976 when she was elected to the U.S.
House of Representatives. Ten years later with her
election into the U.S. Senate she became the first female
Senator from Maryland as well as the first woman to be
elected to both the House and Senate. Senator Mikulski
deserves great honor and reverence for her dedication to
the people of Maryland, the United States, and to the
institution of the Senate.
Three years ago I entered these Chambers as a freshman
from a faraway State. Senator Mikulski was already known
as a legend, to me and so many of my constituents. Since
then, she has been an inspiration--and, to no one's
surprise, a straight shooter and passionate advocate of
her issues. More than once, when I have not yet signed
onto one of her bills--usually something near and dear to
her, like child abuse prevention--she has cornered me. And
in a tough stance, all 4 feet 11 inches of her, she'll
tell me why it is my duty to sign the bill. She is always
right, and I am happy to follow her lead on such issues.
Throughout her time in Congress Senator Mikulski has
been a champion for civil rights, fighting to end
discrimination of all kinds. As the chairwoman of the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions she
has continually fought to end discrimination in the
workplace. In 2011 she was a sponsor of the Paycheck
Fairness Act, which ensures equal pay, regardless of
gender.
She has also defended our Nation's teachers and students
by fighting for more affordable and accessible education
and supporting the needs of rural school districts. Just
this year she introduced legislation that would ensure
veterans who receive educational assistance from the
Department of Veterans Affairs also receive adequate
counseling when considering their educational options.
Senator Mikulski's accomplishments are numerous and
diverse, from the day-to-day needs of workers, business
owners, and students to the strengthening of scientific
innovation and research. Senator Mikulski deserves great
honor and esteem for her dedication to fighting for the
good of the people of Maryland and the Nation.
I am honored to serve alongside such a devoted advocate,
and I look forward to her continued service in the U.S.
Senate. She began her tenure in 1977 as 1 of 19 women
serving in Congress and today is 1 of 17 women in the
Senate. She has helped pave the way for future
generations. Yet she likely would not agree that women
have come a long way over those years; instead she will
say there is a long way to go.
Today I congratulate and pay homage to Senator Barbara
Mikulski. She is a friend, a mentor, and--so very often--
the good conscience of the U.S. Senate.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I come to the
floor today to speak in honor of Senator Barbara Mikulski.
I join my colleagues in recognizing her for becoming the
longest serving female Member of Congress in our Nation's
history.
I know Senator Mikulski is more interested in results
than milestones, but this is an appropriate moment to
congratulate her for all that she has accomplished. She is
both a tenacious fighter and gracious colleague.
The true measure of a society is how we treat people in
the dawn and twilight years of their lives. By that
standard, Senator Mikulski's career has been
extraordinary.
From the start of her career in public service as a
Baltimore social worker helping at-risk kids and seniors
to today, she has been a champion for children and the
elderly. She has been a champion for education, research,
and veterans, and she has been an unflinching champion for
Maryland.
Senator Mikulski has also been a friend since my first
days in the Senate. Early on she reached out to me to
explain the appropriations process in the Senate. My
father, who spent his entire career in the U.S. House of
Representatives, was always suspicious of the Senate. So
to a freshman Senator making the transition from the
House, hers was a welcome and reassuring gesture, kind of
like the folksy gesture of calling me ``cowboy,'' which
always brings a smile to my face.
Senator Mikulski's style is a powerful counter to the
old Washington joke that there are actually three
political parties: Democrats, Republicans, and
appropriators. She always values the input of other
Senators and strives to balance the many competing
priorities of all the Members of this body. For example,
we have worked together on the Joint Polar Satellite
System. This program is over budget and behind schedule,
but it is also indispensable to public safety and our
economy. As an appropriator, she has the unenviable
challenge of striving to continually put this program on
firm financial footing. In the process, she has repeatedly
asked for my perspective and welcomed me into the process.
This is above and beyond the call of duty but is so
typical of Barbara Mikulski.
Many have compared Senator Mikulski's streak to another
famous Marylander's--Cal Ripken, Jr. I think Cal would
agree with Barbara when she said, ``It's not only how long
I serve, but how well I serve.''
She has undoubtedly served this institution, this
country, and Maryland very well.
I commend Senator Barbara Mikulski for her 35 years of
service in Congress and look forward to her future
successes.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Mrs. HAGAN. Madam President, I come here today to pay
tribute to Senator Barbara Mikulski on becoming the
longest serving woman in the history of Congress.
First and foremost, I feel deeply privileged to be able
to serve alongside Senator Mikulski. She blazed a path
that allowed the rest of us, and people like me, to be
here today. Along the way, she distinguished herself as
not only a leader and tenacious advocate for the people of
Maryland but for all Americans.
Senator Mikulski's path to the U.S. Senate prepared her
well to be an effective fighter for her constituents. Ever
the dedicated public servant, Senator Mikulski worked as a
Baltimore social worker, community activist, and as a city
council member. She brought an urgency and an unrelenting
commitment to service to her work and the people she
represented. It can be seen in the legislation she has
fought for and the causes she has championed during her 25
years in the Senate.
I am proud to say the first bill I cosponsored when I
came to the Senate 3 years ago was one of Senator
Mikulski's--the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This bill--
which ensures that no matter your gender, race, national
origin, religion, age, or disability, you will receive
equal pay for equal work--the fight to get it signed into
law is a perfect example of the tenacity and sense of
fairness that drives Barbara Mikulski.
I am particularly grateful to her for her mentorship. On
the day I was sworn in to the Senate, I was standing in
the back of the Chamber waiting to walk down to the well.
My colleague from North Carolina, Senator Burr, was with
me. Senator Mikulski came up to me and asked who was going
to escort me to the well to be sworn in. I, obviously,
said, ``My colleague from North Carolina.'' She said,
``Well, you need a woman too.'' And with that, I was both
humbled and honored to have her escort me down the Chamber
aisle to be sworn in as a U.S. Senator.
Her generosity in sharing her experience and her
expertise did not stop on that day. She is always
encouraging, supportive, and eager to foster a spirit of
teamwork. I especially appreciate that Senator Mikulski
embraces the need for bipartisanship, which no doubt is
why she is and has been so effective, accomplished, and
widely respected.
Everyone knows well and respects Senator Mikulski for
her advocacy on behalf of women and families. In this
regard, she is truly a role model. During the debate on
health care reform, her tireless fight to ensure that
women's preventive services, including screenings for
breast cancer and cervical cancer, would be covered with
no out-of-pocket expenses is legendary.
Her ability to see and understand people's needs is
clearly reflected in her Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act,
which protects seniors across the country from going
bankrupt while paying for a spouse's nursing home care. It
is no wonder she is beloved, not only in the Third
District, which she represented for 10 years in the House,
but by all the people of Maryland whose interests she
fights for every single day.
As 1 of the 17 women now serving in the Senate, it is
hard to imagine what it must have been like when she
arrived here 25 years ago as 1 of 2 women. I am grateful
she and the other female Senators have paved the way.
Barbara Mikulski is the dean of the women Senators, and
her bipartisan women's dinners are among my favorite
Senate traditions. I thank Senator Mikulski for her
leadership and strong belief in the empowerment of women
in our communities and in public office. For those of us
who came to Washington to make a difference, Barbara
Mikulski has set a very high bar.
I congratulate Senator Mikulski for this extraordinary
and historic accomplishment. I look forward to many more
years of serving alongside her.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today in light of last
week's celebration here in the Senate, to recognize the
truly historic and remarkable accomplishment of my good
friend and colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski.
As we all know, Senator Mikulski just last week achieved
another stunning milestone as she became the longest
serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress,
surpassing Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers. Of course,
it was at the outset of this 112th Congress that Senator
Mikulski overtook Maine's legendary Senator Margaret Chase
Smith. To say it's been quite a Congress for the
gentlelady from Maryland is the height of understatement
indeed. ...
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment
to honor Senator Barbara Mikulski for recently becoming
the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S.
Congress. However, in doing so, I am reminded that this
milestone does not define her legacy. Rather, her legacy
as a coalition builder and a tenacious advocate of the
marginalized defines Senator Mikulski's tenure as a public
servant for the people of Maryland.
Throughout her career, Senator Mikulski pioneered the
role women play in today's Congress. When she joined the
Senate in 1987, Senator Mikulski became one of two female
Senators and the first Democratic woman ever to join the
Upper Chamber. These achievements were not due to a famous
husband or father; Senator Mikulski was elected because of
her integrity and her fiery and compassionate character.
Her personal and professional experiences over the past 35
years make Senator Mikulski an excellent mentor for first-
term female Members, leading to the appropriate title:
``Dean of Women.'' I was recently reminded of the
``Dean's'' ability to rally the support of female
colleagues as Senator Mikulski and 7 of 17 female Senators
lent their support for the reauthorization of the Violence
Against Women Act on the floor of the Senate. Her efforts
are emblematic of a unique ability to orchestrate voices
in defense of the voiceless.
Just as the Violence Against Women Act provides support
to both male and female victims of domestic abuse, Senator
Mikulski's legacy as a champion of the exploited
transcends the concept of gender. From her roots as a
social worker and community organizer, Senator Mikulski
has constantly stood for social justice. She was a driving
force in the landmark Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of
2009, which furthered protections for women and others
faced with discrimination in the workplace. Equal pay for
equal work is a principle that Senator Mikulski will
continue to defend. From the young lady who delivered
groceries to seniors, to a passionate defender of the
ethnic American, Senator Mikulski continues to stand in
solidarity with those forced to live at the margins.
I have been proud to serve in the Senate with Senator
Mikulski for over two decades, and I have enjoyed working
with her on many issues, in addition to our time serving
together on the Subcommittee on the Department of State
and Foreign Operations for many years. Perhaps most
memorable is a codel we took to sub-Saharan Africa in
1990.
While my colleagues and I applaud Senator Mikulski on
the longevity of her career, we more importantly take this
moment to celebrate the leadership and achievements that
characterize her 35 years of service. How long she has
served bears witness to how well she has represented the
people of Maryland.
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to
my colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski, who is now the
longest serving woman in the history of the Congress and
congratulate her on reaching this important milestone.
Senator Mikulski is an inspiration to us all. She had
broken down not only multiple gender barriers, but
legislative, economic, and societal barriers as well.
Throughout her career, Senator Mikulski has been a
champion for those who are often forgotten. Hubert
Humphrey once said the moral test of government is how it
treats those in the dawn of life, the twilight of life,
and the shadows of life. Senator Mikulski took this
message to heart. Her life has been a life of service. She
spent her career as a tireless advocate, first as a social
worker in Baltimore on the city council and then in the
House of Representatives where she served 10 years before
coming to the Senate. For the past 25 years she has
continued this advocacy and has been a strong voice on the
Senate floor, as well as on the HELP Committee. I have
been fortunate to serve on the HELP Committee with Senator
Mikulski since 2009.
One of the things Senator Mikulski is best known for is
providing good constituent services. This is something all
Senate offices do and it often gets overlooked by the
national and international issues of the day. But this
speaks to one of the most important duties of a Senator.
When your constituent's mother dies in a country halfway
around the world and you suddenly need a passport or a
visa, when a veteran is not getting the benefits he is
entitled to, or when an older citizen cannot afford to
heat their home, they can turn to their Senator's local
office for help. Senator Mikulski makes sure she and her
staff provide help to that family, or veteran, or older
citizen.
Barbara Mikulski knows, and her work demonstrates, that
the job of a Senator is not only about numbers and
budgets, it is about helping people, especially the
vulnerable and those without a voice or a lobbyist.
Again, I congratulate Barbara on her accomplishment and
I look forward to working with her and continuing to fight
for our children, our workers, and our families with her
in the years ahead.
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President. I come to the floor today to
celebrate the service of Senator Barbara Mikulski, one of
the most tenacious and effective Senators to serve in the
U.S. Senate. This month, following 41 years of public
service, Senator Mikulski has reached a new milestone in
serving in the U.S. Congress longer than any woman in
history. But as she has said, ``It's not how long you
serve, but how well you serve.'' Both the State of
Maryland and the entire Nation have benefited from Senator
Mikulski's stamina as well her energy, intellect, and
compassion. Today, we can see the difference she has made
in our schools, health care, paychecks, and workplaces.
Senator Mikulski follows in the footsteps of the
legendary Hattie Caraway of Arkansas. As the wife of
Thaddeus Caraway, a former Congressman and U.S. Senator
for Arkansas, Hattie assumed her husband's place in the
Senate following his death in 1931. She once said, ``The
time has passed when a woman should be placed in a
position and kept there only while someone else is being
groomed for the job.'' A year later, she ran for
reelection, becoming the first woman elected to a 6-year
term. She surpassed several milestones, including serving
as the first female Senator to preside over the Senate and
the first woman to serve as the chairwoman of a committee.
It would take 74 more years until a woman Senator
chaired a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations
Committee. Senator Mikulski, now at the reins of the
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, has shown
great leadership and vision as chairwoman, and it has been
a privilege to work with her. While we share many
interests, we have worked most closely to advance the
growth of science parks, strengthen law enforcement, and
ensure U.S. companies can compete in the 21st century. I
look forward to a continued partnership, congratulate
Senator Mikulski on this historic achievement, and express
my deep appreciation for all that she has done.
Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise to honor and extend my
warmest aloha to my longtime colleague, a fellow member of
the House freshman class of 1977, and very dear friend,
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, for setting a new benchmark
in her career and a significant milestone in this
institution: becoming the longest serving woman in the
history of the U.S. Congress. With each of her many
accomplishments, she inspires the next generation of young
American women, and she makes their dreams that much more
attainable.
My colleague from Maryland has been a true trailblazer
for women in Congress. In 1987, she earned the distinction
of becoming the first-ever woman U.S. Senator from
Maryland, as well as the first woman Democrat to serve in
both the House and the Senate. Last year, she also became
the longest serving female in Senate history.
Barbara has not only witnessed the number of females
climb from just 21 when she first came to Congress in 1977
to the 93 female members serving today. Her actions and
spirit helped to make that feat possible. She continues to
be a distinguished leader, mentor, and friend to all of
her colleagues in Congress, not just the women. Although
we have more work to do to eliminate gender bias and
discrimination, I am glad to see that Congress has become
more representative of the United States.
Throughout her over 35 years in Congress, Barbara has
remained a fearless advocate for women, working-class
Americans, and Federal workers across the country, a
steadfast protector of the environment, and a relentless
champion of civil rights in this country.
Raised by Polish-American small business owners, she has
been a longtime defender of labor rights and a fierce
proponent of establishing fair and equal working
conditions for all Americans regardless of race, sex, or
disability. This cause led her to author the landmark
women's and worker's rights legislation, the Lilly
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which I cosponsored, to guarantee
women equal pay for equal work.
Being from a State that, like Maryland, has a large
population of Federal workers, I have worked very closely
with Barbara on many issues to support our Government
employees. From the time that we entered the House
together, she has always been a strong partner and
stalwart champion for the rights of our Nation's Federal
workforce, including fair pay and benefits for the
dedicated men and women who make our Government more
secure, effective, and efficient.
Barbara is an embodiment of the democratic spirit and
continues to be a leader. She uses her great wit, humor,
and boundless energy to urge Congress to take up important
issues and then works with Members on both sides of the
aisle to resolve differences and come together to achieve
real solutions that help real working Americans every day.
This is a testament to the fact that as she became the
longest serving woman in the history of Congress, she has
never forgotten her purpose--to make America better.
I again want to extend my aloha and my congratulations
to Senator Barbara Mikulski for this amazing achievement.
It is a pleasure to serve with you. Thank you for your
many years of outstanding service and genuine friendship,
and I wish you the best as you continue your important
work here in Congress.
Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my
colleague and mentor, Senator Barbara Mikulski, and to
celebrate her legacy as the longest serving woman in
Congress. For over 35 years, Senator Mikulski has proudly
served the people of Maryland as a tireless advocate and a
selfless public servant. It is my privilege to honor her
today.
The great-granddaughter of Polish immigrants, Senator
Mikulski grew up appreciating the value of hard work and
service. On the weekends she worked in her parents' East
Baltimore grocery store delivering groceries to homebound
elderly. It was then that Barbara developed her deep
passion for helping others.
After earning her master's degree in social work from
the University of Maryland, Barbara started a career as a
social worker with Catholic Charities and Baltimore's
Department of Social Services. An outspoken advocate for
at-risk youth and the elderly, she quickly earned a
reputation as a fighter and was elected to the Baltimore
City Council in 1971. After 5 years on the city council,
Barbara ran for Congress.
In 1976, Barbara began her first term representing
Maryland's Third Congressional District. As 1 of only 18
women in the House of Representatives, Barbara was a
member of a small but mighty group. During her 10 years in
the House, she gained a reputation as a fighter, and in
1986 the people of Maryland again chose her to represent
them, but this time in the Senate.
As one of only two female Senators, and the first woman
elected to the Senate in her own right, Senator Mikulski
was met with much skepticism. While outnumbered, Barbara's
determination and dedication to her constituents shined
through. Barbara is a steadfast proponent of greater
access to higher education, a leader on the front of
women's health, and an unwavering supporter of America's
veterans. She is determined to stand up for those who are
often forgotten.
A few weeks ago, Barbara shared a touching story that I
think exemplifies her character.
When Barbara first ran for the Senate in 1986, she had
the opportunity to get to know Harriet Woods, who was
campaigning as a Democrat for the Missouri Senate seat.
Barbara saw the significance of having two female
candidates for Senate, and she was certain both of them
would win. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for
Harriet Woods, who lost to Republican John Danforth.
On Barbara's first day she was shown her desk on the
Senate floor--she opened it and saw Harry Truman's
autograph. She had Harry Truman's desk. While she was
delighted to have that desk, she knew that it really
belonged to the Senator from Missouri and relinquished it.
She said that for years she thought about that desk and
hoped that it would someday be returned to a Democrat from
Missouri.
Twenty years later, on election night in 2006, Barbara
watched the election results come in from around the
country--and in Missouri, in particular. She said she
stayed up late in the night waiting for the final result.
Once she learned of the results from Missouri, she knew
that the desk that had been accidentally given to her all
of those years ago would finally be returned where it
belonged. I am so pleased to know that the Truman desk was
shared, if only briefly, with my friend Barbara Mikulski.
Barbara Mikulski is a trailblazer, a role model, and an
advisor to the other women in the Senate. Today there are
17 women in the Senate, and much of that progress can be
attributed to Senator Mikulski's leadership.
Mr. President, I ask that the Senate join me in
congratulating Senator Mikulski on this milestone and
thank her for her 35 years of leadership, friendship, and
service.
Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, today I would like to honor
Senator Barbara Mikulski's amazing life and career as she
becomes the Senate's longest serving woman Senator. She
has been a role model and inspiration to women across the
country as she broke barriers in public life. When she
first came to the Senate she was one of only a handful of
women ever to serve in the U.S. Senate and now she is 1 of
17 women here on the Senate floor. Her service has made it
easier for girls to dream about one day being a Senator--
or President.
Senator Mikulski and I shared a similar experience
growing up: her parents, William and Christine, opened and
operated Willy's Market, a small grocery store in their
working class neighborhood in East Baltimore. My parents
also opened a small grocery store in Milwaukee--the first
of what would become the Kohl's Food Stores and then
Kohl's Department Stores.
As we have already heard here on the floor, her father
would frequently open the store early so local
steelworkers could buy their lunches before their shift
began. He would also extend credit to help customers who
were having a hard time making ends meet. William
Mikulski's neighbors didn't go hungry with him as their
grocer. Barbara worked at the store, and helped deliver
groceries to homebound seniors in their neighborhood. She
got to know her neighbors well, and she understood the
important issues facing her community.
Much of what we both experienced working in our family
stores and watching our parents work so hard to provide
superior service to their customers, ensuring their
children understood the value of hard work, treating
others fairly and with dignity, and giving back to the
community, influenced our views on customer service. Those
views have translated into Senator Mikulski's constituent
service here in the Senate.
Barbara's enthusiasm and commitment to serving the
people of Maryland has resulted in too many victories to
mention here, but I do want to point out a few of the
projects we have worked on together on the Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee.
Senator Mikulski and I have worked closely over the
years to protect USDA agriculture research in Beltsville,
MD. Beltsville is a historic and crucial part of the
USDA's research arm. In fact, it is the largest
agriculture research facility in the world and does
valuable work developing the next generation of crops and
farming methods that will feed a growing planet. We've
also worked together on increasing funding for the Food
and Drug Administration, ensuring that the food we eat and
medicine we rely upon is safe.
In my work as chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations
Subcommittee, I have been especially thankful for the
times when Barbara has spoken passionately about the
important programs we fund through the subcommittee. She
has been a stalwart supporter of farmers throughout
Maryland and across the country, and a true friend here in
the Senate. It has been an honor to serve with her.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, my late friend Alex Haley,
the author of ``Roots,'' lived his life by the motto
``Find the good and praise it.'' That is an easy thing to
do when talking about Barbara Mikulski, a friend and
colleague with whom I have worked closely since I joined
the Senate.
I would like to add my congratulations to those of my
colleagues on Senator Mikulski reaching the milestone of
becoming the longest serving woman in Congress. This is a
remarkable achievement for a remarkable woman. For over 35
years, that is almost 13,000 days, Barbara Mikulski has
dedicated herself to serving the people of Maryland and
representing them here in Congress.
Although Senator Mikulski is a proud partisan, she is
one of the best advocates of bipartisanship. She
understands the need to work together, to learn from one
another's point of view, and to strike a deal so that each
side can get something of value and move forward.
I have found that when you have Barbara Mikulski by your
side in a debate you always seem to win. She brings
passion and dedication and tenacity to every issue she
works on. Her love of the Senate, Congress in general, and
the American people is infectious.
When Senator Mikulski and I have worked together it has
always been a delightful experience. Whether authorizing
the Teach for America Program to allow college graduates
to become teachers in our Nation's worst schools; passing
America COMPETES, where we improved our energy research
programs and STEM education initiatives; or working on
higher education where we share a passion for eliminating
costly and unnecessary Federal regulations, Barbara
Mikulski is a tireless friend and ally.
Congratulations, Senator Mikulski. The Senate is proud
of you, Maryland is proud of you, and the country is proud
of you.
Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, today I wish to
offer congratulations to my friend and colleague, Senator
Barbara Mikulski, on becoming the longest serving woman
Senator in American history.
As Senator Mikulski has said, ``It's not only how long I
serve, but how well I serve.'' And she has served very
well. Not only does Senator Mikulski serve in the best
interests of the people of her native Maryland, but her
service continues to improve the lives of Americans from
coast to coast.
This comes as no surprise for a person who began her
career helping at-risk children and seniors as a social
worker in Baltimore. Senator Mikulski's nightly commute
home from Washington ensures that she will not forget who
she works for or where she comes from. The truth is, she
never left.
Her commitment and connection to her constituents
benefits us all. Her advocacy for access to better health
care, improving the quality of education, investing in
innovation, and protecting human dignity are not bound by
the borders of Maryland. Her service benefits the people
of Baltimore, MD, but also the people of Broken Bow, NE.
It is an honor to serve with Senator Mikulski. I enjoy
her company, I respect her strength, and I admire her
commitment.
Congratulations to Senator Barbara Mikulski on her
record-setting service. We are all the better for it.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I join my fellow
Senators in paying tribute to my dear colleague and friend
Senator Barbara Mikulski for the tremendous landmark she
has reached as of March 17, 2012. She is now the longest
serving female Member of our Congress. But the number of
years is inadequate as a measure or metric. More telling
are her monumental accomplishments and record of
successfully tackling tough problems and making a real
difference in lives. Senator Mikulski is unquestionably
one of the most dedicated, inspiring, and influential
public servants in our Nation's history.
Her generous spirit, flair, and eloquence as a speaker
make her both loved and powerful as an advocate. Her
standard of intellect and integrity has motivated me and
inspired countless others. Like Senator Mikulski, I am
humbled and driven by the legacy of members of my family
who emigrated from Europe, striving for the American dream
with a strong work ethic and a firm belief in progress. I
am especially drawn to Senator Mikulski's determination to
fight for her constituents and her deep sense of caring.
She is an excellent role model for women and girls around
the globe--and for anyone, whether a freshman Senator such
as myself or a veteran legislator--devoted to a life of
public service.
I am proud to work with Senator Mikulski on the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
joining her, for example, as a cosponsor of her Paycheck
Fairness Act to continue the civil rights debate that
started decades ago and is unfortunately still unresolved.
We must, once and for all, secure protections for women in
the workforce, reaching pay equity and ending all
instances of sex discrimination.
I respect Senator Mikulski's efforts to reduce costs
while furthering innovation and am a strong supporter of
her focus on research and drug development for chronic
conditions, as laid out in her SPRINT Act. Her advocacy
for America's seniors and success leading immigration
reform are equally inspiring, and I am proud to be a
cosponsor of her Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and
Reform Act.
I especially enjoyed partnering with Senator Mikulski to
advance the education we provide to our Nation's students.
We offered an amendment together in the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act to increase funding and research
to meet the unique needs of gifted and talented students.
Special recognition is past due for Senator Mikulski,
who makes the time to recognize others, most recently
sponsoring S. Res. 310, designating 2012 as ``Year of the
Girl'' and congratulating the Girl Scouts for its
centennial.
Senator Mikulski has been an extraordinary mentor and
model for countless men and women who emulate her
dedication and drive, her commitment and common sense. She
leads by her example, particularly for women who endeavor
to hold public office. When considering the opportunity to
run, they can look to the legacy she has built and the
path she has traveled from social worker to city council
member to a national figure in the Halls of Congress.
I look forward with pleasure and pride to serving
alongside Senator Mikulski for years to come. I
congratulate her on making history and giving her
colleagues, fellow public servants, constituents, and the
American people the opportunity to engage in historymaking
for the good of our Nation.
Proceedings in the House of Representatives
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to
an accomplished and distinguished Member of the U.S.
Senate who is achieving a milestone worthy of recognition
in this body.
Senator Barbara Mikulski is the longest serving woman in
congressional history. Before being sworn into the Senate
in 1986, Senator Mikulski served in this Chamber for five
terms. She has now served the people of Maryland for more
than 35 years.
Senator Mikulski is the daughter of Polish American
small business owners, who taught her the meaning of hard
work. She attended Mount Saint Agnes College and the
University of Maryland, where she earned a degree in
social work. The inequities she observed during those
years are what drove her to become a voice for her
community. An activist, she organized community members to
stand up against a local plan to build a 16-lane highway
through neighborhoods in Baltimore. Indeed she was
successful.
Her career as a government leader began in 1971, when
she was elected a member of Baltimore's City Council.
Prior to becoming the first Democratic woman sworn into
the Senate in 1986, she served 10 years as a
Representative of Maryland's Third Congressional District.
Without a doubt, Senator Mikulski's admirable leadership
trajectory is reflected through the varied roles she has
held in Congress. She has advanced initiatives involving
women's reproductive rights and women's health issues. She
is currently a senior member of the Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions Committee and chairwoman of the
Subcommittee on Children and Families. She is also a
senior member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
and chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science
Subcommittee. In my work as the House CJS Subcommittee's
leading Democrat, I have been grateful for the partnership
of my companion in the other Chamber.
Senator Mikulski is a pioneer who has paved the way for
many women. Throughout her career she has served as a
mentor for women in congressional leadership and continues
to create partnerships to focus the spotlight on women.
Her contributions go beyond the walls of Congress and
she continues to be an integral part of her community,
greeting constituents and lending a hand to empower and
help make a difference. She continues to fight to give
Maryland the resources necessary to compete in a global
economy.
I invite my colleagues to join me in honoring this
notable woman who is making history and extend our
gratitude for her service and wish the senior Senator from
the State of Maryland good health and good times.