[Senate Document 114-22]
[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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[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Barbara A. Mikulski
S. Doc. 114-22
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Congressman
1977-1987
United States Senator
1987-2017
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2017
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Boozman, John, of Arkansas.....................
37
Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
18, 20
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
11, 15
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
11, 36
Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
24
Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
16
Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
23
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
8
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
28
Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
26
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
33
Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
30
Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
35
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
32
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
25
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
14, 32
Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland..............
20, 23
Peters, Gary C., of Michigan...................
37
Portman, Rob, of Ohio..........................
38
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
27
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
3
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
21
Warner, Mark R., of Virginia...................
33
Proceedings in the House of Representatives:
Tributes by Representatives:
Cummings, Elijah E., of Maryland...............
41
Hoyer, Steny H., of Maryland...................
40
Kaptur, Marcy, of Ohio.........................
42
Ruppersberger, C.A. Dutch, of Maryland.........
39
Sarbanes, John P., of Maryland.................
39
Van Hollen, Chris, of Maryland.................
42
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.
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 Barbara 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 was 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.
Barbara Mikulski focused on the issues of civil rights,
national security, space exploration, education, jobs,
research and innovation, women's health, cybersecurity,
seniors, and veterans. She was primary sponsor of the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, addressing salary
discrimination against women; it was the first bill signed
into law in 2009 by President Obama, just days after his
first inauguration.
A leader in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski was the dean of
the women--serving as a mentor to other women Senators
when they first take office. As the dean, she built
coalitions--proving that the Senate women are not solo
acts, but work together to get things done.
When she was sworn into office on January 5, 2011,
Barbara Mikulski became the longest serving woman Senator
in U.S. history. On March 17, 2012, she became the longest
serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress. Of
these milestones, she said, ``It's not about how long I
serve, but about how well I serve my State and my
Nation.''
On December 20, 2012, Senator Mikulski became the first
woman and first Marylander to chair the Senate
Appropriations Committee, on which she served since she
arrived in the Senate in 1987.
Senator Mikulski was inducted into the National Women's
Hall of Fame in 2011. She was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2015.
Senator Mikulski's experiences as a social worker and
activist provided valuable lessons that she drew on as a
U.S. Senator. She believed her constituents have a right
to know, a right to be heard, and a right to be
represented. She listened to her constituents and made the
personal, political.
Senator Mikulski retired from the U.S. Senate on January
3, 2017. She accepted a position as Homewood professor of
political science at Johns Hopkins University, and she
participates in national speaking engagements on the
topics of leadership, innovation, and women's empowerment.
Farewell to the Senate
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to take the floor
for what I call my summing-up speech. It is not my
farewell speech because I have the honor and privilege of
being the ranking member and former chairman of the
Appropriations Committee. I will speak later on this week
when we move the continuing resolution.
It is the practice and the tradition of the Senate that
when a Senator is departing the Senate, they give what
they call their farewell address. Well, mine is not going
to be as memorable as when George Washington resigned his
commission or other memorable speeches, but I do want to
say words about how I feel today about having the great
opportunity to serve in the Congress.
I have spent 30 years in the Senate, 10 years in the
House of Representatives, and, yes, 5 years in the
Baltimore City Council. I have served in elected public
office for 45 years. More than half of my life has been in
elected public service but, at the same time, all of my
life has been focused on service.
I rise today to thank the people of Maryland. I rise to
thank them for their vote of confidence. When people vote
for you, it is not only that they are sending you to
Washington or sending you to city hall. They are giving
you a vote of confidence that you will be their voice,
that you will be their vote, that you will be at their
side and on their side, and that is what I want to be able
to talk about today.
The people of Baltimore gave me my first shot at
running for the Baltimore City Council. When I beat the
political bosses, when running for political office as a
woman was considered a novelty, they said: ``You don't
look the part.'' But I said, ``This is what the part looks
like, and this is what the part is going to be like.''
Along the way, so many people helped me. Behind ``me'' is
a whole lot of ``we.''
I got started in public life because of volunteers and
activists who, on their own time and on their own dime,
volunteered themselves to not only help me get elected but
to be involved in their communities, to be civically
engaged, to make their community and their country a
better place. These are the people who were behind me.
Well, guess what. No, I was behind them, because they
certainly have led the way.
Along the way, there were people who also not only
helped me get elected, but they helped me govern--people
who, again, volunteered their own time. I had a wonderful
service academy board that helped me pick the best and the
brightest to serve in our military academies--people with
distinguished careers in either the military or in
education. I had a judicial appointment advisory board
that made sure I helped nominate the best people to serve
in the Federal judiciary. Also, I had a veterans advisory
group that brought to me what was really happening to the
veterans, not what was in the press releases from the
Veterans Administration. Of course, I had a fabulous
strategy group that functioned as a kitchen cabinet. It
was a kitchen cabinet. We spent a lot of time cooking
things up to try to make our country and our communities
better places. So I thank them all for what they did.
When we come here to try to serve the people who sent
us here, we cannot do it alone. So we have a fabulous
staff, both that serves us in Washington and serves us in
our State. I wish to thank my current staff: my chief of
staff, Shannon Kula; my deputy chief of staff, Rachel
MacKnight; my State director, Nichelle Schoultz; my
legislative director, Brigid Houton; my communications
director, Matt Jorgenson; my scheduling director, Catie
Finley; my office manager, Josh Yearsley; my
appropriations staff director, Chuck Kieffer; and my
appropriations deputy staff director, Jean Toal Eisen; and
of course, all of my staff in my State office who helped
me.
There is also the support staff who made sure that the
phones got answered. You didn't get one of those ``call 1,
call 2, press 7, press 184,'' and so forth. Also, there
are the people who answer the mail, whether it was snail
mail, which so much of it was when I came, or email,
because we really believed that we needed to be here for
the people.
I called their names, but there are also others who
filled those jobs throughout my time in public office.
They worked very hard to make sure that we could represent
the people of Maryland and to be on their side.
After 45 years, though, it is time for me to say
goodbye to elected office, but not to service.
I have the high privilege of being the longest serving
woman in congressional history. But I say it is not how
long you serve but how well you serve. For those who know
me and have been to rallies and so on, they know that I
say: ``I am here to work on the macro issues and I am here
to work on the macaroni and cheese issues''--to work on
the big picture, to make sure that the people's day-to-day
needs were converted into public policy or, while we are
working on public policy, to try to help our communities.
We also have to remember in our own States that we have
constituent service issues. One of the things I am really
proud of is my constituent service staff, where if you
were a veteran and you needed help or you had a Social
Security or Medicare problem, you could call Senator Barb
and you didn't feel that you had to go to a $100
fundraiser or know somebody who had connections. The only
connection you needed was a phone. You didn't even need
Wi-Fi. You could just call me. Summer, winter, spring, or
fall, they had Senator Barb. I tried to be of service
because service was in my DNA. I was raised to think about
service.
My mother and father ran a small neighborhood grocery
store in one of Baltimore's famous rowhouse neighborhoods.
Every day they would get up, and they would open that
grocery store and say to their customers: ``Good morning.
Can I help you?''
Now, in running that business, they also wanted to be
sure that they were connected to the community. We weren't
a big-box shop. We were a shop for the little people. If
anybody was in difficulty, my father was happy to extend
credit. It was called: We will write your name down in a
book. Pay us when you can. Don't worry that you got laid
off at Bethlehem Steel. We know that your wife had a
difficult childbirth and needs this extra stuff. We are
here to help.
My father would say: ``Barbara, deliver those
groceries. Take it down in that little red wagon I got for
you.'' With my little red wagon, I would maybe take orange
juice down to a shut-in, but my father would say: ``Don't
take a tip.'' The tip he gave me was to always be of
service and to treat people fair and square.
The other place where I learned so much about service
was from the nuns who taught me. I had the great fortune
to go to Catholic schools. I was taught by the Sisters of
Notre Dame and the Sisters of Mercy. These wonderful
women, who led the consecrated life, taught us not only
about reading, writing, and arithmetic, but they taught us
religion and emphasized the Beatitudes. If anybody reads
the Scripture, if you go to Matthew 5 and you go to the
Beatitudes, you know what has shaped us. One of them is
this: Blessed are those who are meek at heart. I had to
really work at that one--really, really work at that one.
At the same time, there were those that said: Those who
hunger and thirst after justice. That is what motivated
me. It was focusing on the values of faith, like love your
neighbor, care for the sick, and worry about the poor.
I was also inspired by a motto from something called
the Christopher Movement, where you would help carry the
burden. It said: ``It is better to light one candle than
to curse the darkness.'' That is what was motivating me to
service.
We really believed in America in my family, and we
really believed in it in my community. When my great-
grandmother came to this country from Poland in 1886, she
had little money in her pocket, but she had big dreams in
her heart. Women didn't even have the right to vote. One
hundred years to the year that she landed in this country,
I landed in the Senate. That is what opportunity means in
the United States of America.
I never thought I would come into politics. Growing up
in Baltimore, my family wasn't involved in politics. My
family was involved more in church work, philanthropy,
doing good works in the way they did their business. In
Baltimore in those days, there were political bosses--guys
with pot bellies who smoked cigars and did deals, and so
forth--and that wasn't going to be me. I thought I would
go into the field of social work.
I got involved because they wanted to put a 16-lane
highway through the European ethnic neighborhoods of
Baltimore and not even give the people relocation
benefits, and they were going to smash and bulldoze the
first African-American home-ownership neighborhood in
Baltimore, in a community called Rosemont.
I said, ``Look, we can fight this. We just have to give
ourselves a militant name.''
I helped put together a group called SCAR, or the
Southeast Council Against the Road. Our African-American
neighbors were on the other side of town, and they had a
group called RAM, or Relocation Action Movement. Then the
citywide coalition had a group called MAD, or Movement
Against Destruction. So you see, I have always had a
certain flair about these things.
So we did take on city hall. But the more I knocked on
doors--and our community did--we weren't heard. So I
decided the heck with it. If I knocked on a door and I
wasn't going to be heard, I was going to knock on the door
to get elected, and that is what I did--knocking on doors,
putting together a coalition, defying the odds, defying
what people said--You can't win. No woman can win in an
ethnic, hard-hat neighborhood. No woman can win who isn't
part of the political machine. No woman could win who had
been active in the civil rights movement. I said, ``Guess
what.'' We defied the odds, and we denied the odds, and
that is how I came into public office--a champion on
behalf of the people.
I wanted to come to be an advocate for people to have
better lives, to have better livelihoods and better
neighborhoods, to be able to save jobs and to do what I
could to be able to help them. I knew that to do that I
had to show up, stand up, and speak up for my
constituents, staying close enough to the people so they
wouldn't fall between the cracks and meeting their day-to-
day needs and the long-range needs of the Nation.
When I came to the Senate, I was the very first woman
elected in her own right. Though I was all by myself, I
was never alone. When I came, there was only one other
woman here--the wonderful and distinguished colleague from
Kansas, Senator Nancy Kassebaum, a wonderful colleague.
When I say I was by myself as the only woman in the
Democratic caucus, I say I was never alone because of the
great men that we could work with in the Senate.
Now, I have had the privilege to work with two of the
best men in America. Senator Paul Sarbanes, who was my
senior Senator when I came and who certainly was my
champion, helped me to get on the right committees and
convinced everybody that my name was Barb Mikulski and not
Bella Abzug. But I was a little bit of both. As to Senator
Sarbanes and now, of course, Senator Ben Cardin, who also
has been at my side, we have worked together on issues
related to Maryland both large and small.
But there were others who taught me, like Senator Byrd,
Senator Kennedy, and others. What it was all about was
being able to work for jobs and for justice.
Though I was the first Democratic woman, I wanted to be
the first of many. I wanted to help women get elected to
the Senate and do what I could to be able to help them to
do that. It has been just wonderful to see that now there
are 20 women who are currently serving in the Senate. One
of the great joys has been to work to help empower them so
that they can be a powerhouse. That is why we have those
power workshops that struck fear into the hearts of the
guys--not to worry about us but to keep an eye on us.
I have been proud of what I have learned, taking the
values that I had growing up and trying to put them in the
Federal lawbooks, because, for me, no issue was too small
to take up, and no cause was too big for me to not take
on.
I firmly believe that the best ideas come from the
people. That is where some of my greatest accomplishments
came from. One of the things I loved the most was being in
Maryland, moving around the State, going to all of the
counties in the State. I loved my Mondays in Maryland,
where I could meet and go into unannounced places like
diners. A lot of people like to do townhalls, and they are
terrific, but I like to show up at a diner, go from table
to table and not only eyeball the french fries but listen
to what the people have to say.
The other thing that I really liked was roundtables--
absolutely those roundtables--where you could engage in
conversation with people and listen to them, not show off
how smart or cool you were. I really loved doing that. Out
of it came some of my first big accomplishments.
When I came to the U.S. Senate, my father was quite ill
with Alzheimer's. My father was a wonderful man. He worked
hard for my sisters and me so that we would have an
education. He saw his role as a protector and provider,
and by providing us an education, we could always take
care of ourselves.
When he became so ill and went into a nursing home, I
listened to other families who would come to visit people
in long-term care. We saw that the very cruel rules of our
own government were forcing people to spend down their
entire life savings and put in their family home or their
family farm as an asset base. Well, listening to them,
Barbara Mikulski said this: ``Family responsibility--yes,
you need to take responsibility for your family, but the
cruel rules of government should never push a family into
family bankruptcy.'' So I crafted something called the
spousal anti-impoverishment rules that enable elderly
couples to keep their assets and keep their home. AARP
tells me that since that legislation passed over 20 years
ago, we have helped 1 million seniors not lose their homes
or their family farms because one becomes too ill because
of that dreaded A-word or Parkinson's or others. That is
what I mean about the best ideas coming from the people.
Then I also listened to women who worked hard every
single day yet weren't getting equal pay for equal work.
Of course we heard it from Lilly Ledbetter, but we heard
it from lots of Lillies, and we heard it from lots of
Roses and lots of Marys and lots of Otanias and lots of
Marias. That is why we worked hard to pass the Equal Pay
For Equal Work Act.
Working together with Senator Nancy Kassebaum, Olympia
Snowe, our friends over in the House, Connie Morella, Pat
Schroeder, we also found that women were being excluded
from the protocols of NIH. The famous study to take an
aspirin and keep a heart attack away was done on 10,000
male medical students, not 1 woman. So Olympia, Connie,
Pat, and Barb showed up at NIH and pounded the table and
said, ``Let's start practicing good science instead of bad
stereotypes and make sure we are included where we should
be in a legitimate, scientific way.'' Out of that came the
appointment of Bernadine Healy as the head of NIH; out of
that came the Office of Research on Women's Health at NIH;
and out of that came the famous hormone replacement study
that Dr. Healy championed. Then Tom Harkin and Arlen
Specter helped us get money in the Federal checkbook.
One study changed medical practice and lowered breast
cancer rates in this country by 15 percent. Wow. That is
what working together does--to try to save lives a million
at a time. That was on women's health.
Then we saw growing concerns about the issue of the
high cost of college. The first mortgage many of our kids
are facing is their student loans. Working together with
the other side of the aisle, we created AmeriCorps, making
sure we enabled people to be able to be of service to our
country and earn a voucher to pay down their student
loans.
Then there was a roundtable where I met with parents of
special needs children, and a mother asked me to change
the law from ``retardation'' to ``intellectual
disability'' because she was being bullied. Well, I came
back here and drafted legislation. Again, on the other
side of the aisle was Mike Enzi, who worked with me to
pass that.
Rosa now is a member of the Special Olympics. She wins
medals. She was Person of the Week on television. That is
what Mondays in Maryland means. It is worth everything to
do things like that.
In Maryland, we worked along with Senators Sarbanes and
Hardin to clean up the bay. We worked to make sure our
port was viable. We worked not only on our Port of
Baltimore for ships of commerce, but also we worked on the
space community at Goddard. I am so proud of the fact that
I worked very hard to save the Hubble Space Telescope.
That Hubble Space Telescope turned out to be the richest
contact lens in world history. But again, with astronaut
Senators Jake Garn and John Glenn working together, we did
it, and it ensured America's premier leadership in
astronomy and in space for years and for several decades.
Over the years, though, I could go through
accomplishment after accomplishment, but one of the things
I have learned as my lesson in life is that the best ship
you could sail on in life is something called friendship.
It is friendship that makes life worth living. It enables
life to have the value of giving. That is what friendship
is. When I think about the friends along the way whom I
have met both in my hometown and my State, there are also
those who are here, people who on both sides of the aisle
are absolutely so important to me--and the fact that we
have worked on both sides of the aisle.
I spoke about Senator Cardin and Senator Sarbanes. On
the Senate Appropriations Committee, it was Senator Shelby
and Senator Kit Bond; we could actually work together. We
put our heads together to try to come up with real
solutions for real problems, and we could do that.
The other is not to judge one another because we have a
party label. I am so darned sick of that. In the year of
the women, so many came--like Barbara Boxer and Patty
Murray and Dianne Feinstein, also Senator Kay Bailey
Hutchison, who came from Texas. I got a call from Senator
Hutchison one day, and my staff said: ``Ew, she wants to
work with you on something. Ew, ew. She is a conservative
from Texas and she wants to do something for women.''
I said, ``How about if we listen? Could we start with
listening? Could we start with just listening?''
Senator Hutchison had a fabulous idea on IRA
contributions. In those days, if you were in the
marketplace, you could put in $2,000, but if you worked
full time at home, you could put in only $500. What
Senator Hutchison wanted to do was to make it have
parity--that old word, ``parity.'' I said yes. Our staffs
told us not to work with each other, but we were going to
forge ahead.
We went out to dinner to talk over strategy, but we
talked together about our lives, how she got her start,
obstacles she faced. We had such a good time that we said:
``Let's invite other women.'' Well, that became the famous
dinners--the famous dinners that the women of the Senate
have. We knew we would never be a caucus because we were
not uniform in our views or the way we voted, but what we
wanted to be was, No. 1, a zone of civility where we would
treat each other with respect, our debates would be
observed with intellectual rigor, and when the day was
over, the day would be over. Those dinners have now stood
the test of time, and I am so proud of them.
I have been so proud to work with my colleague, the
senior Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, who has been such
a friend and such an ally. Though we are not a caucus, we
are a force when we can come together. We have made
change, and we have made a difference. That doesn't go
down in the rollbooks, but I think it certainly should go
down in the history books.
So as I get ready to leave the Senate, what will I
miss? Well, I will never have another job as consequential
as this. This is pretty consequential. The fate of this
country, and maybe even the world, lies in the hands of
the Congress of the United States.
I will miss the people in the Senate, the wonderful
professional staff, but I am also going to miss the
doorkeepers, the elevator operators, the cafeteria
workers, the police officers who say: ``In helping the
one, we help the many.'' We learn so much from them; I
have learned so much from them.
I learned a lot from the elevator operators. One was a
lady of very modest means who every day would say to me
and to all of us, ``Have a blessed day.'' What a great
gift she gave us: ``Have a blessed day.''
Another elevator operator, who himself has recovered
from very challenging health issues, always cheerful,
asks, ``How is your day?'' The last thing you could do is
to not return a smile. Those are the kinds of people whom
I will always remember, all those helping hands.
So I say to my colleagues now that I will never, ever
forget you. Helen Keller, though she was blind, was a
great visionary, and she said that all that you deeply
love you never lose. All whom I have ever met have become
a part of me; each and every one of you have become a part
of me. Everybody I met along the way, whether it was at
roundtables or the elevator operators, have become a part
of me. You shaped me, and you have helped me become a
better person.
So when I wrap up and people say ``Well, what do you
think you are going to do, Barb,'' I will say my plan is
not a job description but a life description. Every day I
am going to learn something new. Every day I am going to
give something back. Every day I am going to do something
where I keep an old friend or make a new one. I want to
thank God that I live in the United States of America,
which enabled me to do this.
In conclusion, George Bernard Shaw--I don't know how he
would have felt about me, but he wrote this, and I think
it is pretty good. He said this:
I am [of the opinion] that my life belongs to the
[whole] community, and as long as I live, it is my
privilege to do for it whatever I can.
For the harder I work, the more I live. I will rejoice
in life for its own sake. Life is no ``brief candle'' to
me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold
of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly
as possible before handing it on to future generations.
God bless the U.S. Senate, and God bless the United
States of America.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
?
TRIBUTES
TO
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI
Proceedings in the Senate
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Mr. REID. Mr. President, at times it seems that
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate don't agree on
very much, but the one thing we all agree on without any
exception is this: Our colleague Barbara Mikulski of
Maryland can turn a phrase better than anyone else. It is
one of her many gifts. Just listen to some of the
memorable lines we have heard her utter.
Running for her first term in the Senate, Barbara said,
``I might be short, but I won't be overlooked.''
Just prior to the 2013 government shutdown, she told
Senate Republicans, ``You can huff and puff for 21 hours,
but you can't be the magic dragon that blows the
Affordable Care Act away.''
Earlier this year, she spoke of the Zika virus as
follows:
The mosquitoes are coming. The mosquitoes are already
here. You can't build a fence to keep them out, and the
mosquitoes won't pay for it. The mosquitoes are here--this
is not an Obama fantasy.
My personal favorite was something she said at a welcome
reception for the 1986 class. We gathered in the Russell
Building, and it was a festive occasion for Democrats. We
had many new Democrats. It was a huge class--Daschle,
Shelby, Breaux, Graham, Conrad, and Fowler. There were
many Democratic Senators, but the day was stolen by
Barbara Mikulski. We were all asked to say a word. About
her opponent, she stood and said: ``I may be short, but it
sure wasn't hard for me to slam dunk Linda Chavez.''
It is safe to say that with that quip, Barbara
immediately hit it off with all the Members of the Senate
class.
From the moment she first set foot in the Senate,
Senator Mikulski was determined to be herself--honest,
disciplined, principled, undaunted, with an incredible wit
and a fierce love of Maryland.
You will not find a Member of this body more devoted to
her circumstances--and we will talk about those in a
little bit--devoted to her constituents and her State than
Senator Barbara Mikulski. She served the State of Maryland
for more than 50 years. A graduate of Mount Saint Agnes
College and the University of Maryland, she made her name
as a social worker and a political activist.
Her grandparents are well known, especially her
grandmother. They ran a bakery. I have heard her talk
about that bakery so many times, how the people in the
neighborhood would come and wait for that bakery to open.
Her grandparents went there very early, as bakers do. She
speaks with nostalgia, warmth, and love of her
grandparents.
Her own parents ran a little grocery store next to a
steel mill. They would get there early in the morning, and
the steelworkers would come and get their lunches and
sometimes their breakfasts in that grocery store. Her
parents were part of her life, as were her grandparents.
She is so proud of them.
In 1966 the Baltimore City Council proposed building a
large highway through the center of the city of Baltimore.
There was a downside to the plan: It would have razed
entire neighborhoods, African-American neighborhoods and
especially immigrant neighborhoods. They would have to
leave their homes.
The city's leaders, political bosses, and, of course,
the wealthy real estate interests and many others--the
power brokers of the State of Maryland, the city of
Baltimore--knew this was a done deal, but the power
brokers didn't count on a young social worker named
Barbara Mikulski to fight for these families. It was her
first political activism, and activism it was. It was her
alone. Because of her magnetism, her warmth, and her
ability to organize, she organized an effort to stop the
highway. Everyone said it couldn't be done, but no one
bothered to tell Barbara. She rallied the citizens of
Baltimore in opposing the highway, and what a rally it
was--not one rally, not two, but many of them until it was
determined that she had won and the power brokers had
lost. These people got to keep their homes, and today
there is no superhighway towering over the center of
Baltimore. People remember Barbara Mikulski for that.
Barbara's fight against the highway made her a hero in
Baltimore and propelled her to the city council in 1971.
In 1976 Barbara Mikulski fought her way to the Congress of
the United States as a Member of the House of
Representatives. After five terms in the House, Barbara
Mikulski ran for a seat in the Senate, in the one I just
told you about. She slam-dunked her opponent, making her
the first Democratic woman in history to win seats in both
the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United
States. Today Senator Mikulski is the longest serving
woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. For more than 40
years she has served the people of Maryland.
She is the first woman and first Marylander to chair the
prestigious Senate Appropriations Committee. Her
legislative record reflects her hard work for women and
for equality. She worked with then-Senator Joe Biden to
pass the first Violence Against Women Act in 1994. She was
the architect of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. She was
repeatedly in the forefront to fight for paycheck
fairness, which determined that men and women who do the
same work should be paid the same money.
When so many of us were duped by misinformation about
the Iraq war, Barbara Mikulski was not duped. She voted
against the war.
Barbara's career in the Senate has been historic, but I
would be remiss if I failed to note her impact on my life
and my career. As I said, we came to the Senate together.
We served together. We got the same committees. We, of
course, served together in the House, but that is a huge
body--435 Members. Frankly, I served there two terms. I
know the Presiding Officer [Mr. Rounds] served in the
House. It is a huge body. When I left there after 4 years,
I can remember a vote taking place. Where did these people
come from? It is hard to get to know 435 people, but I
knew Barbara. Everybody knew Barbara. But in the Senate we
came together, served on the same committees, and we got
to know each other very well early on. Barbara Mikulski
has always protected me, looked out for me.
One of my first memories took place right here in the
well. I was new, she was new, and it was a very close
vote. It was an issue that was her issue, and I couldn't
vote her way. That happens here. It was a close vote.
People were nudging me: ``You have to change. You are
going to upset everybody. You are a Democrat; you can't do
that.''
In walked Barbara Mikulski into this crowd. I was there.
I was really kind of afraid, but she wasn't. She walked
in. People moved away. She said, ``Leave him alone. It is
a matter of principle.'' People left me alone. That is who
she is. Was she disappointed? I know she would have been
disappointed had I not done what I believed in.
I served for 10 years with John Ensign, the Senator from
Nevada. John and I had a unique relationship. In 1998 I
won an election for the Senate between Ensign and Reid by
428 votes. That was a close election. But as fate would
have it, 2 years later he came to the Senate. Senator
Bryan retired, and he came to the Senate.
Well, John had some personal issues. He hadn't been here
very long at all and had some personal issues. I called
him at home, and he said, ``Yes, I have some problems
here.'' I thought how I could help him. Here in the Senate
we have the right to do what is called pair. Senator
Ensign and I rarely voted alike anyway. So I said, ``Well,
John, what I will do, so it won't affect your voting
record, is that I will just pair with you and that way it
won't show you have missed votes.'' So I agreed to do
that, and for 2 weeks I told him I would do that.
Well, it worked out fine because we voted differently on
everything, except there came an issue that affected
Senator Mikulski. She came to me and asked, ``Why are you
voting that way?'' I told her, ``Senator Ensign has a
personal issue, and I told him I would pair with him.''
She said, ``If you had done anything else''--and I won't
use her exact language--``you would have been a fool.'' I
wasn't a fool in her mind. Even though it was not good for
her, she was supportive of me. She would not have been
satisfied that I had done something that was wrong in her
mind, and she accepted my explanation and that I had to do
what I did. We have always had a lot of respect for each
other.
Senator David Pryor of Arkansas had a heart attack and
became very ill. He was a wonderful Senator. Everyone
liked him. But he announced he couldn't serve as secretary
of the Democratic caucus, and that was something that I
was interested in. But I also heard Barbara Mikulski was
interested in it. She had been so good to me so often that
I immediately went to Barbara, and with the two of us
together, I said, ``Barbara, do you want this secretary's
job?'' She said, ``Yes.'' I said, ``You have it.'' That
was the end of that. Nobody opposed her.
Well, surprisingly, a few years later, out of nowhere,
Wendell Ford, who was the whip, decided he wasn't going to
run for reelection. It was a surprise to everyone. He was
assistant Democratic leader, and that was something I was
interested in, but again there was Barbara Mikulski. I
didn't say a word. The word was out there that I was
interested in it. So as fate would have it, I was walking
from my office in the Hart Building over toward the
Russell Building, and she was coming in the other
direction. Those of us who know Barbara know that a lot of
times she is a person of few words. She is not a gadfly.
Sometimes she talks a lot, but sometimes she doesn't want
to talk. We were passing each other in the hall, and she
said, ``I want to talk to you for a minute.'' She said,
``You took care of me in the Senate; the whip's job is
yours.'' That ended it. It was all over. When that was
done, I had a clear route to be the whip of the Senate--
the Democratic Senate.
That is the relationship I have with Barbara Mikulski.
So she is as responsible as anyone for my years in
Democratic leadership. Without her friendship and her
loyalty my last 20 years in the Senate would have been
much different. Working with Barbara Mikulski is one of
the highlights of my congressional career. Just hearing
her speak is a privilege.
I have seen and listened to good orators. When I was in
the House--and my friend, the Democratic whip is here--we
heard Jim Wright. Jim Wright was a great orator. He was
the majority leader and the Speaker of the House. He was
really good. Tom Lantos, an immigrant from Hungary, could
speak. He was so dynamic, so good. Claude Pepper had a
different style but was someone you listened to. Here in
the Senate I have listened to some great orators. Back
there was Dale Bumpers. I can still see him. He had a long
cord here. He had an extra-long one, and he would walk up
and down these aisles speaking. He was a great orator. I
listened to him. George Mitchell, one of my predecessors,
was so good, so articulate--and Dick Durbin, from
Illinois. They are all terrific orators.
But in my estimation, there is no better orator who I
have come across in my congressional service than Barbara
Mikulski. We have talked about her one liners, but I would
like, just for a minute, to talk about a trip I took with
a congressional delegation led by the very famous John
Glenn--war hero, astronaut, and gentleman. We went to
places in Europe. The Iron Curtain was down. We went to
Poland. Barbara Mikulski's heritage is Polish. They called
in John Glenn to give a speech. Ted Stevens from Alaska
was also on that trip. I said, ``We have someone here who
is of Polish heritage. Let's listen to her.'' Oh, what a
speech--I mean it was spellbinding. She talked about how
she felt about who she was and about her grandparents and
her parents.
So I know there is no better orator than Barbara
Mikulski. That is because she speaks from the heart. She
is honest and so genuine. As the Baltimore Sun wrote:
``People know authenticity when they see it, and there's
nothing fake about Barbara Mikulski, most especially her
love of her job.'' That is pretty good, coming from the
biggest newspaper in the State.
Barbara has loved her job in the Senate, and the people
of Maryland and the United States have loved having her as
their advocate and defender. She leaves the Senate as she
entered it, as a political activist and a fighter.
So, Barbara, thank you very much for your guidance, your
mentoring, your friendship. It has been an honor to work
by your side. We are forever friends. Godspeed, Barbara
Mikulski.
I yield the floor.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, let me just echo the comments
of our Democratic leader, Senator Reid, in relation to
Senator Mikulski. I will save a few moments perhaps next
week to speak my own tribute to her and give my own
reminiscences. But I didn't want to abruptly change the
subject without saying I am in total agreement with
Senator Reid in terms of the quality of service and
friendship that we have had with the senior Senator from
the State of Maryland.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in
saluting the public life of Senator Barbara Mikulski.
Before I do that, I want to thank a woman who is not here.
She was a Catholic nun and the debate coach for Senator
Mikulski when she was in high school at the Institute of
Notre Dame, an all-girls Catholic high school in
Baltimore, the same school Nancy Pelosi graduated from.
As a young Barbara Mikulski was preparing to debate a
particularly tough opponent, this nun, her debate coach,
told her: ``You can do it, Barb--get out there and roll
those Jesuit boys!''
I went to a Jesuit college and law school, and I am
proud and relieved to report that I never had to face
Barbara Mikulski in that kind of debate. I have rarely
found anybody who can stand up to her in a debate. She can
still ``roll those Jesuit boys,'' or anyone else who tries
to stand in the way of helping women, children, seniors,
or advancing fairness.
Barbara Mikulski has been my colleague for 20 years, my
friend, the chairwoman of my Appropriations Committee and
the ranking member, and so many times an inspiration.
As most of my colleagues know, my first job was working
in the Senate as an intern, myself, in the office of
Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois. Like Barbara Mikulski,
Paul Douglas was a champion for the underdog, and he was a
pit bull when it came to protecting the American
taxpayers.
Every year, the University of Illinois chooses a leader
of uncommon decency and courage to receive the Paul H.
Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. This year, I was
honored to present that award on behalf of the University
of Illinois and in the name of Paul Douglas to Barbara
Mikulski of Maryland. I know Senator Douglas would have
been thrilled that she is carrying on that same public
service tradition.
Some day--and I hope and trust I will live to see it--
the ultimate glass ceiling will break, and there will be a
woman elected President of this country. When that
historic day comes, we can be sure that Senator Barbara
Mikulski will have had a hand in bringing it about.
Many of my colleagues have spoken about the long list
of times she has already broken glass ceilings herself:
Barbara Mikulski, first woman ever elected statewide in
her beloved State of Maryland; Barbara Mikulski, first
Democrat elected to both the U.S. House and the U.S.
Senate; Barbara Mikulski, first woman to ever serve as
head of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
But as Barbara, very self-deprecating, has often said,
she has never been interested in simply being the first.
She wants to be ``the first of many,'' and she has been.
When Maryland voters sent Barbara Mikulski to this
Senate in 1986, there were two women in the entire body:
Nancy Landon Kassebaum of Kansas, a Republican, and
Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, a Democrat--2 women in this
Chamber out of 100 Senators. Today, there are 20 women
Senators, and after they are sworn in on January 3, there
will be 21. That is great progress, but not nearly enough
by Barbara Mikulski's standards.
Senator Mikulski also had the brainchild of making sure
the women in the Senate became an even more powerful
force. Her bipartisan, women Senators-only dinners were a
rare display of bipartisanship in an institution too often
divided. The discoveries of common cause, common trust,
and common purpose resulting from those dinners have made
a big difference on the floor of the Senate.
Barbara Ann Mikulski is the proud granddaughter of
Polish immigrants. Her parents owned a small grocery store
in Baltimore. She, her parents, and her two younger
sisters lived across the street in one of the famous
Baltimore rowhouses. As a young girl, Barbara thought
about becoming a Catholic nun. She changed her mind
because, as she put it, ``that vow of obedience kind of
slowed me down a bit.'' So she found other ways to
practice the social gospel of justice.
She was a driving force behind the first bill signed by
President Barack Obama, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
I was there that day. The President signed the bill, and
he took the first pen from the first bill he was signing
and handed it to Barbara Mikulski because he knew that she
had been a champion for equality in the workplace for
women throughout her career.
There are two stories that I always think of when I
think of Senator Mikulski.
In October 2002, the Senate voted on whether to
authorize the war in Iraq. Only 23 of the 100 Senators
then serving voted against the Iraq war resolution. Of
those 23 Senators, only 8 still remain in the Senate
today: Barbara Boxer, who is leaving at the end of this
Congress, Patrick Leahy, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Debbie
Stabenow, Ron Wyden, Barbara Mikulski, and myself. This is
a woman who has always been willing to risk her career to
follow her conscience.
One of her great heroes is Dorothy Day, founder of the
Catholic Worker Movement. The reason, Barbara Mikulski
says, is that Dorothy Day was always ``trying to find the
hopes of people,'' rather than preying on people's fear
and anger.
I saw Barbara Mikulski's instinctive appeal to hope on
that infamous sad day--September 11, 2001. As dust was
settling on that heart-wrenching, heart-breaking day, most
of the Members of the Senate gathered on the steps of the
Capitol. The hope was that there would be a demonstration
by Members of both parties to the Nation and to the world
of solidarity. Suddenly--unplanned, unscripted--Barbara
Mikulski started singing ``God Bless America.'' Everyone
joined in. In one of America's darkest hours, Barbara
Mikulski brought us together. That is what a real leader
does.
I and so many in the Chamber and so many untold
millions of Americans are going to miss her presence in
the Senate. We take consolation in knowing that, while she
is leaving the Senate, she is not leaving the fight. She
will never leave the fight.
Those of us who are returning in the next Congress have
learned from Senator Mikulski, and we will continue to
fight the good fight to invest in life-saving, job-
creating medical breakthroughs at the National Institutes
of Health--or, as Barbara Mikulski calls it, the
``National Institutes of Hope.'' We will continue the good
fight she has fought with such pithiness and passion to
make our Nation safer and make our economy fairer for all
Americans. I know that she will continue that fight as
well.
Barbara Mikulski may be leaving the Senate, but no one
ever has, and I doubt anyone ever will, think of
Baltimore's Barbara Mikulski as ``retiring.''
I yield the floor.
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, in the interest of time, I
will limit my remarks.
I rise this afternoon to commend and salute three
Senators from the Democratic caucus who are leaving the
Senate this year. I will have longer written statements
for the Record to appropriately pay tribute to their
service. In alphabetical order, Senator Boxer of
California, Senator Mikulski of Maryland, and Senator Reid
of Nevada.
I will offer some specific remarks about Leader Reid,
in the interest of time, but I do want to commend and
salute Senator Boxer for her service to the people of
California and to our Nation, as well as Senator Mikulski
for her great work--two great advocates, two individuals
whom we are going to miss terribly here in the Senate. As
I said, I will put longer statements in the Record. ...
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, this is a bittersweet
moment as I rise to pay tribute to my esteemed colleague,
dear friend, and fellow Senator, Barbara A. Mikulski, the
longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress.
Senator Barb has been more than a dedicated champion
for the State of Maryland; she has fought tirelessly for
the welfare of all Americans across the country but
especially the disadvantaged--equal pay for equal work,
funding for childcare for working families, quality health
care for all Americans, an ambitious space exploration
program, robust homeland security programs, and fire
protection grants. These are but a few of the causes
Senator Barb has worked on for more than four decades as
an outstanding public servant and legislator.
She is rooted in the city we both call home, Baltimore,
where her father ran a grocery store in Highlandtown. She
earned her bachelor of science degree in sociology from
Mount Saint Agnes College and a master of social work
degree from the University of Maryland School of Social
Work. She became a social worker and then demonstrated her
formidable organizational skills and resolve when she led
the successful opposition to a 16-lane highway that was
going to cut through the Fells Point neighborhood in
Baltimore. Throughout her 40 years of congressional
service, she has returned to Baltimore almost every night.
She ran for the city council in 1971, where she served
for 5 years before she was elected to the House of
Representatives to represent Maryland's Third District--a
seat she held for 10 years. I was proud to succeed her in
the House when she was elected to the Senate in 1986 and
became the first female Democratic Senator elected in her
own right. Here in the Halls of the Senate, she opened
doors that had previously been closed to women. She
refused to accept second-class treatment because of her
gender and fought to be recognized as an equal.
Generations of young women who chose to participate in
public life or who dreamed of joining the U.S. Senate have
benefited from Senator Barb's trailblazing legacy.
From affordable housing and education to childcare,
health benefits, and pensions, she has left an indelible
imprint on the Nation's social policies as a senior member
of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions. It is fitting that she authored the Lilly
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009--the first major bill to be
signed into law by the first African-American President. I
know one of her proudest accomplishments is strengthening
the social safety net for seniors by passing the Spousal
Anti-Impoverishment Act, which helps keep seniors from
going into bankruptcy while paying for a spouse's nursing
home care.
Senator Barb said, ``We work on macro issues and
macaroni and cheese issues. ... Our national debate
reflects the needs and dreams of American families.''
In 2012, she became the first woman and the first
Marylander to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee.
She has worked well with Senator Cochran and other
Republicans on the committee to produce annual
appropriations bills under difficult budget constraints. I
think she has shown how the Senate can work in a
productive, bipartisan fashion.
Senator Mikulski has served as the dean of the women
Senators from both parties, promoting collegiality,
civility, and consensus-building. In this capacity, again,
she has been one of the leaders of this institution with
respect to making it work better.
Senator Barb has always had her feet planted firmly on
the ground, but she has reached for the stars. No one has
been a stronger advocate for the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, NASA; the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, NOAA; the National Science
Foundation, NSF; and for researching and understanding the
universe to make life better here on Earth than Senator
Barbara Mikulski.
Not only has she reached for the stars, she is a star.
NASA named a supernova after her in 2012--Supernova
Mikulski--discovered, fittingly, by the Hubble Space
Telescope on January 25, 2012. The supernova is 7.5
billion light-years away and the remnants of a star more
than 8 times as massive as our own Sun.
Senator Mikulski has so much political energy per
square inch of height that she has reached her own orbit
in space. Even though her realm includes the entire
universe, Senator Barb always kept the needs of
Marylanders close to her heart during her tenure. Whether
it is fighting for funding to restore the Chesapeake Bay,
supporting mass transit improvements in Baltimore,
standing up for Federal employees and retirees who work
and live in our State, or posting the world's best recipe
for crabcakes on her Web site, I know I speak on behalf of
each and every Marylander when I say how much we will miss
her outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to
our State.
I am privileged to have worked with Senator Barb for 10
years in the Senate and for 20 years before that when I
was in the House of Representatives. I am proud to have
stood alongside her as two members of Team Maryland.
On a personal basis, I have a very close friend and my
service in the Senate is much more productive, much more
enjoyable, and much more rewarding because of Senator
Barbara Mikulski.
The U.S. Congress, the State of Maryland, the United
States, and, indeed, the world are better places because
of Senator Mikulski's public service. She may not be the
tallest Senator, but she certainly leaves the biggest
shoes to fill. I will miss her, but I will remain
internally inspired by her shining example of public
service at its best.
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as each session of
Congress comes to a close, both leaders traditionally pay
tribute to the retiring Members of their own parties. This
year is a bit different, of course, with the retirement of
the Democratic leader. So in addition to what I will be
saying about him tomorrow, I figured I might shake things
up just a bit more, just this one time. I figured I would
tell my colleagues about two colleagues from across the
aisle who have made their own mark on this Chamber for
many years.
The first colleague I wish to speak about is from
Maryland. Some call her Senator Mikulski, some call her
Senator Barb, but everyone knows this: She is tough. It
explains how she got here in the fist place.
You see, Barbara Mikulski had a lot of dreams growing
up. She wanted to be a scientist. She wanted to be a nun.
She even wanted to be an astronaut. If not for a ``C'' in
chemistry, a vow of obedience, and the thought of wearing
a flight suit--or so we have heard--she probably could
have done all of those things. But Senator Barb chose a
different path--or rather all of them at once. You see,
you don't have to work in a lab to champion science
research; you can serve as the lead Democratic
appropriator on the Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee.
You don't have to put on a habit to look out for others;
you can serve as dean of the Senate women and cultivate
mentorship among your colleagues. And you certainly don't
have to blast into space to blaze a trail--something this
longest serving female Member of Congress knows very well.
It wasn't an easy road getting here. It wasn't an easy
road when she got here. No Democratic woman had ever been
elected to the Senate in her own right before Barbara
Mikulski. But, as she said on the stump, ``I might be
short, but I won't be overlooked.'' Boy, she hasn't been.
I doubt she ever will be. Maybe it has something to do
with the mantra she follows: ``Do or do not--there is no
try.'' No surprise that this ``Star Wars'' fan is taking
advice from Master Yoda.
She has learned a lot from others, too, like her great-
grandmother, who emigrated from Poland with hope and
little else--hope that her family might one day experience
this country's many freedoms and opportunities. I know she
would be proud of her great-granddaughter today, proud of
this crime novelist, this crabcake gourmet, this senior
Senator from Maryland.
So here is what we have come to know about Senator
Mikulski: Her word is her bond, she is a passionate
advocate for the causes she supports, and good luck
stopping her once she puts her mind to something. ...
Let me finish with some advice Barbara Mikulski gave to
young Barbara Boxer as she contemplated her first Senate
run. ``If you run,'' Senator Mikulski said, ``it will be
the toughest thing you will ever do,'' but, she added, it
will also be ``the best thing you will ever do.'' I think
this is something we can all relate to regardless of which
party we belong to and regardless of which State we come
from. At the end of the day, we all came here to
accomplish things for the people we represent, even if we
have different ideas on how to do them.
So, thankfully, there should be no disagreement over
this next task. I ask all Senators to join me in
recognizing our colleagues for their service and to join
me in wishing them good luck as they begin the next
chapters of their lives.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, yesterday I had an
opportunity on the floor to talk about Senator Mikulski,
but I just want to take 1 minute--because I know a lot of
my colleagues want to speak--to thank her on behalf of the
people of Maryland.
Yesterday I was with Senator Mikulski at the
inauguration of Catherine Pugh, our new mayor of
Baltimore. As is the tradition on programs, the senior
Senator speaks and then the junior Senator speaks, so I
had the opportunity to speak after the dynamic remarks of
Senator Mikulski. That has been a burden that I have had
now for 10 years. As I pointed out to the people of
Maryland, we are losing one of the great giants and
advocates for our State, and that is going to be a great
loss. The only benefit I can see is that I will not have
to follow Senator Mikulski on the program in the future.
We are living part of a legacy, and we know that. We
know that what we do here in the U.S. Senate one day will
be recorded in the history of our country. I know that
Senator Mikulski will be mentioned frequently for her
incredible accomplishments here in the U.S. Senate.
On a personal basis, I just wanted to express that my
life in the U.S. Senate has been special. For all of us,
being in the Senate is special, but my enjoyment,
productivity, and life in the Senate has been made so much
greater because of my seatmate and friend, Senator Barbara
Mikulski.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Ernst). The Senator from
Maine.
Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, it is with deep
affection, admiration, and appreciation that I rise today
to offer my heartfelt congratulations to our colleague and
my dear friend, Senator Barbara Mikulski, as her service
in the Senate comes to a close. As the longest serving
woman in the history of the U.S. Congress--30 years in
this Chamber, in addition to 10 years in the House--she
has earned the gratitude of the people of her beloved
Maryland and of the entire Nation. That gratitude is based
on much more than simple arithmetic, much more than just
how many years she has served here, impressive though that
is. In reflecting on her service, it is difficult to
decide where to begin--her accomplishments, her vision, or
her complete dedication to the people she serves, the
dedication that began in that neighborhood in Baltimore
that she describes so passionately today. No matter where
we begin, we end up in the same place--it is all about her
character.
Perhaps the best way to describe Senator Mikulski's
character is by noting that she is not only officially the
longest serving woman in the history of the Congress, but
she is also unofficially the dean of the women in the
Senate. That title perfectly demonstrates the trust and
respect she has earned from her colleagues. As a brandnew
Senator in 1997, I was one of those tutored by this
accomplished and experienced dean. At that time, Senator
Mikulski had already been in the House and the Senate for
a combined 20 years. She didn't know me from Adam--or
perhaps I should say from Eve--yet, despite the difference
in our seniority, our States, and our parties, she took me
under her wing. She was one of the first people who called
me after I was sworn in as a new Senator. I was so
grateful for her kindness and her wisdom. She invited me
to a power workshop in her office, along with Mary
Landrieu, the other woman who was elected that year. She
taught me the ropes of the appropriations process and
instituted regular bipartisan dinners for the women of the
Senate.
In the years since then, I have come to know her as a
fighter, a trailblazer, and a person of such integrity.
Maybe it is all those years with the nuns that taught
you that.
It has been a privilege to work with her on such vital
issues as home health care, maritime issues, higher
education, pay equality, and an issue near and dear to
both of us, Alzheimer's research. Serving with her on the
Appropriations Committee, I have witnessed first hand what
an extraordinary leader she is--fair, openminded, yet with
firm expectations and a clear sense of direction.
Senator Mikulski is, above all, a hard worker. Growing
up in east Baltimore, she learned the value of hard work
in her family's grocery store, as we have heard today. Her
commitment to making a difference in her neighborhood led
her to become a social worker, helping at-risk children
and our seniors. The statement she made sums up her
approach to serving in Congress: ``I was a social worker
for Baltimore families. Now I'm a social worker building
opportunities for families throughout America.''
Two years ago, I was honored to stand alongside Senator
Barb to accept the Allegheny College Prize for Civility in
Public Life. We were representing all of the women of the
Senate for our leadership in bringing an end to the
devastating government shutdown of 2013 and working
together on so many other issues.
With our dean setting the example, we have always
rejected the idea of a women's caucus because we, like the
men in the Senate, span the ideological spectrum. Who
would expect otherwise? We have worked together across
party lines to serve all Americans. As Senator Mikulski
puts it ``It's not about gender, it's about the agenda.''
In fact, all of us have our favorite sayings that the
Senator from Maryland has taught us, and we will miss her
way with words so much.
When Senator Mikulski reached her Senate longevity
milestone 5 years ago, she surpassed my personal role
model in public service, the legendary Senator from Maine,
Margaret Chase Smith. Just as the great lady from Maine
inspired me and countless other young women of my
generation to serve, the great lady from Maryland inspires
the young women of today, always encouraging them to go
for it.
Throughout her life in public service, she 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.
What an honor it has been to serve alongside Senator
Barbara Mikulski. I have learned so much from her. I will
never forget the day she told me I had the soul of an
appropriator, which I knew was the highest compliment she
could give me. She was right. We have worked on that
committee to get so much done.
I wish her many more years of health, happiness, and,
most of all, that most important ``ship,'' friendship.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, before Senator Collins
leaves the floor, I want to thank Senator Collins for her
beautiful remarks about Barbara Mikulski. As I leave here,
I have said publicly--the press has asked: ``What is your
hope?''
I often say, ``My hope is with the Senator from Maine,
Senator Collins, to bridge some of the partisan divides.''
It has been an honor to serve with you. I know you have
a lot on your shoulders as we move forward.
Senator Mikulski, I want to take a few minutes to talk
about you. Some Senators have focus and drive. Some have
compassion. Some have empathy. Some have sharp negotiating
skills. Some have a quick wit. Some are great students of
history. Some are champions for the least among us.
Senator Barbara Mikulski, you are all of these things. You
are everything a Senator should be and more. As my mentor,
as my treasured friend, you have been a major influence in
my career. Honestly, I can say I would not be here as a
U.S. Senator without your guidance.
One of my favorite things about Barbara is her
wonderful sense of humor. It is legendary. She is
hilarious when she wants to be.
When I was in the House of Representatives, I was
fighting to integrate the all-male House gym. The room to
which they had assigned the women was about 6 by 6, and it
had showers and hair dryers. You know the big hair dryers
that come over your head like that? It had no exercise
equipment. It had no space. It was the size of a shoebox.
We women decided we needed some exercise, so we packed
into the tiny room.
There was then-Congresswoman Mikulski, Congresswoman
Ferraro, Congresswoman Schroeder, Barbara Kennelly,
Olympia Snowe, who looked like she had just stepped out of
Vogue magazine. I was in my sweat suit, and so was Barb.
The teacher was leading us in an aerobics class, and she
said, ``Put your hands above your head.'' We did it. She
said, ``Put your hands out to the side.'' We did it. Then
she said, ``Put your hands on your hips and bend at the
waist.'' With that, Barbara yelled, ``Look, if I had a
waist, I wouldn't be here.'' That is my Barb. She can use
laughter to defuse any situation. I will always love her
for it.
When I started thinking about my own long shot bid for
the Senate--and it was worse than a long shot--the first
person I went to after my family was Barb. It was a few
years after she had made history by becoming the first
Democratic woman ever elected in her own right to the U.S.
Senate. She got right to the point: ``How old are you,
Babs?''--using the nickname she calls me to this day. I
told her I was almost 50.
God, that sounds so young, Barbara.
I told her I was almost 50. I explained it was going to
be a tough fight. I was up against two powerful male
opponents in the Democratic primary, and I was an asterisk
in the polls. What was her response? She looked at me and
she said, ``Go for it. It's worth the fight you'll have to
wage to get here. And it will be a fight.'' And it was.
In 1992, four new women came to the Senate, and who was
waiting for us with open arms? Senator Mikulski. This is
what she said: ``Some women stare out the window waiting
for Prince Charming. I stared out the window waiting for
more women Senators--and it is finally happening!'' That
is who Barbara is. She never set out to make a name for
herself. She wanted to blaze a trail that was wide enough
for all of us to follow.
Just days after I won that first Senate race, she sent
all the new women Senators a guidebook she herself had
written about how to get started in the Senate, how to get
on committees. She invited us to her office for lessons on
Senate procedure and how to set up our offices. She had
covered everything.
In the years since, as you have heard, she has hosted
regular dinners for all the women in the Senate--
Democratic and Republican alike. We reach across party
lines and come together because of her. We talk about our
work, our families. We share our struggles and our
triumphs. What is said there stays there.
Senator Mikulski has led us by example, showing us how
to build coalitions, how to bridge the partisan divide,
which includes strong partnership with our male
colleagues, whom she calls ``Sir Galahads.'' She has also
shown us how to stand up and make our voices heard. As she
says, go ``earring to earring'' with our opponents and
``put on our lipstick, square our shoulders, suit up and
fight.'' Legendary Mikulski words.
To me, Senator Mikulski is the whole package--a
skilled, intelligent negotiator, a Senator who fights for
the people, and a woman who helps other women. She is our
cherished leader, and that is why she will always be known
as the dean of the Senate women.
When Barbara announced she would be leaving the Senate,
I wrote her a rhyme. I love to write rhymes and lyrics. I
wrote her the following rhyme:
Before Mikulski won the day,
A guy would have to pass away,
And then his wife would take his place.
Finally, a woman in a Senate space.
But Barb she got there in her own right.
First Democratic gal to win that fight.
She won the race and joined the misters.
But finally NOW she has 19 sisters!
Barbara, next year, because of what you started,
because of the people you encouraged, there will be 21
women in the Senate--a record. Sitting here in my chair,
my seat, will be an incredible woman.
Senator Mikulski, Barb, my treasured mentor, my dear
friend, thank you for everything. We have been through
battles together. I am forever grateful to you, and I will
always treasure our friendship.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I thank the gentlelady
from California.
Mrs. BOXER. I like ``gentlelady.''
Ms. MIKULSKI. That is the way we talk here. I thank the
gentlelady from California for her kind words. We have
been together through thick, thin, and the attempt to get
thin, and that story about bending at the waist is a true
one.
I am not the person with the best hairdo or sleek or
chic, but one of the things I have so admired about my
friend is her authenticity. We first got to know each
other in the House, and then I encouraged you to come to
the Senate, which certainly was the right thing to do. You
are yourself. You are true to yourself, you are true to
your beliefs. You are true to your constituents, and you
are true to the Constitution. You are such a true blue
person. There are many words to describe you, such as
outspoken, feisty, and all of that, but I would say the
word that describes you best is ``authentic.'' You are who
you are. The people of California have loved you for it
and sent you to the Congress.
We started out together basically in city council
roles, sometimes called the pothole parliament. It has
been a pleasure to serve with the Senator from California.
I have watched you stand up for your beliefs, and along
the way, as you stood up for your beliefs, you made
believers of us all.
Godspeed to you, Barbara. We are friends forever.
Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I wish to speak about
Senator Mikulski and then also Senator Boxer, the two
great Senator Barbaras who have been such giants in the
Senate. We are so grateful to both of them.
Madam President, I do have to say that among the many
things with which I have been honored and have appreciated
was when Senator Mikulski accepted my offer to stay at the
Stabenow bed and breakfast after long session nights and
days when the Appropriations Committee was negotiating and
doing the incredible work that had to be done. I had the
honor of being able to put up a plaque in my home that
says: ``Senator Barb slept here.'' I will always be
honored to have had that opportunity on top of all of the
other ways we have worked together.
It really is an honor to stand here. I can't imagine
the Senate without Senator Mikulski and Senator Boxer. I
can't imagine the Senate without the incredible service of
my dear friend and colleague, who is our dean in every
sense of the word--the senior Senator from the State of
Maryland. For over 30 years she has worked tirelessly. We
know that. We hear it every day. We know what the people
in Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay area, and all of Maryland
care about. She has been fighting and standing up for them
every single moment of every single day. I so admire that,
and I am so grateful. She has been a wonderful inspiration
and mentor to me. We have all heard about our dinners and
the power briefings on appropriations. She has been a
continual source of inspiration and a mentor to me.
She reached out to me, as she does to all of our
colleagues, when I was first elected. She welcomed me and
showed me what it meant to be a good Senator representing
my State of Michigan and how to get things done. Senator
Mikulski has always been willing to lend a helping hand
and has never given up when it comes to fighting for the
people she represents and being a trailblazer.
I came into the Senate with a master's degree in social
work. Senator Mikulski has often said that we are the two
official do-gooders in the Senate. We have taken our
interest from helping people individually to another level
by becoming policymakers, thereby giving us the
opportunity to touch more lives by using our skills and
our background in education as well.
We all know--but I think it is important to remind
ourselves--that she was only 26 when Senator Mikulski
talked about the highway proposal that would have
destroyed a neighborhood full of working people. She spoke
up. She was noticed, and she wasn't afraid to say exactly
what she was thinking. She was and is absolutely fearless
in every good sense of that word. She brought that
fearlessness to the Senate. That fearlessness made her the
first woman to serve as chair of the Appropriations
Committee of the Senate. It doesn't get more important
than that in setting policy and having an impact on
people's lives in our country by prioritizing the
interests of the American people in every funding
decision. That fearlessness was on display when she helped
bring us closer to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of
2009, making it closer to having equal pay for equal work
than it has ever been before.
Senator Mikulski fought for health care. I was proud to
join her in making sure that women could receive
preventive care without a copay. She made sure that women
were truly represented and that our needs were met in
health care reform, and that will continue to impact all
of the lives of women across the country.
When she turned her eyes to the stars, wondering what
was up there, she made sure that the Goddard Space Flight
Center was a leader in exploring the unknown. Like the
supernova named after her, she has absolutely astonished
us with her brilliance, and nothing will be quite the same
after she leaves here.
Her work in the Senate has made it possible for so many
women and girls across America to put their hat in the
ring and say: ``I want to run for office, and I can do
it.''
Senator Mikulski said it best--there are so many
wonderful quotes I will always use--when she said: ``Put
your lipstick on, square your shoulders, and suit up. Go
into the fight and get things done.'' That has become a
mantra for us in working together.
I thank Senator Barb. You will be greatly missed, but I
know you have so much more to give. I know you will always
make a difference in people's lives in every single thing
you do every single day, and we will be forever grateful.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, again, I thank the
gentlelady from Michigan. We both have master's degrees in
social work. I joke, but I am actually serious when I say
we are certified do-gooders. When people hear about social
work, they sometimes think it is about giving money away,
but it is really about trying to help people build lives,
build families, and therefore build the Nation. The
Senator from Michigan's championship in that area has been
amazing to me.
I am so glad my friend from Michigan is here in the
Senate, whether she is standing up for the people in
Flint, MI, so they have safe drinking water, or standing
up for those who need help in the area of food and
nutrition so there aren't food deserts in communities.
That is one of the biggest public health initiatives. If
you are a diabetic, you can't comply if all you can get is
fast food and french fries. If you are a child, you need
good food and good nutrition. My friend knows more than
anybody that you need to feed the body, the mind, and the
spirit, and she has certainly done that. It has been great
being your pal and partner.
Many people don't know this, but Senator Cardin and I
commute every day. When those appropriation cycles got
pretty late, after midnight, the gentlelady from Michigan
offered her home to me. We had a saying: ``Stop whining
and have a glass of wine.'' There was nothing like being
able to talk about your day with a colleague who will
offer inspiration and encouragement at the end of the day.
My friend offered her home, but she has really fought for
so many people to have a home and a community in order to
have what they need so they can learn and prosper in this
country.
I just wish you so much and wish you all the best.
Thank you very much.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. COONS. Madam President, I wish to offer a few brief
comments, if I might, so I may thank and congratulate
Senator Mikulski for her tireless contributions to the
State of Maryland and the whole country.
As many know, she is a passionate, capable, effective
champion for people of all backgrounds, and she got her
start in local government. One of the things we have in
common is that I, too, started in a very humble office as
a county council member in my home community of New Castle
County, DE.
The way I first met Barbara Mikulski and first saw her
toughness, grit, passion, and determination was in a fight
over a program she helped give life to, the national
service program known as AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is a
fantastic national program that partners with the Federal
Government, State, and local governments, the private
sector, and nonprofit volunteers. She has been a tireless
champion for AmeriCorps over many years and has made a
lasting difference in its areas of focus and work.
During my short 6 years here, she has been a great
friend and a mentor to me and to so many others on both
sides of the aisle. Joe Biden, our Vice President, has
often said: ``Show me your budget, and I will show you
your values.'' As leader of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, Senator Mikulski helped to lift up our values
and helped to make sure we invested in effective programs
that made sure we fed the hungry, housed the homeless,
fought for manufacturing, and ensured that Federal workers
who lived in Maryland and Federal agencies that were
rooted, not just in Maryland but around the country, had
the resources, support, and capacity to make a lasting
difference here in our region and for the entire country.
I just wanted to add my voice to colleagues who stood
here on the floor and said: We are so grateful to Senator
Barbara Mikulski for her decades of service to Baltimore,
to Maryland, and to our country, and for all she has done
to lift us up together.
Thank you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Capito). The Senator from
Mississippi.
Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, I rise to compliment and
congratulate my good friend and colleague, the senior
Senator from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski, on her decision
to retire from the U.S. Senate. We are going to miss her
very much. She has been a very effective Senator in
speaking not only as a representative for the State of
Maryland but also for the entire country on so many
different issues and Federal responsibilities of our
government. She has been very successful in every way--
serving as chair of the Committee on Appropriations, where
it has been my pleasure to work closely with her as the
vice chair when the Republicans were in the minority, and
then coming to chair the committee, with her as the
ranking Democratic member during other periods.
It has been a distinct honor to serve with her on the
Appropriations Committee. In 2012, she became the first
woman to chair the committee. She has also served as vice
chairwoman for the past 2 years. I am pleased that we have
been able to work together to report bills that reflect
our shared commitment to national security, scientific
research, education, and economic development. Senator
Mikulski has been a very valuable partner throughout. Her
approach to funding decisions as chairwoman and vice
chairwoman highlights the importance of the constitutional
role of Congress to be good stewards of taxpayer money.
I congratulate Barbara Mikulski on her distinguished
career representing the people of Maryland which reflects
great credit on our U.S. Senate. Best wishes to her.
I yield the floor.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, history is dotted with the
stories of trailblazers, people who shape the public
discourse at a pivotal moment in time or change the
direction of the debate. One of those trailblazers is
Barbara Mikulski, the longest serving woman in Senate
history, the first woman to represent Maryland in the U.S.
Senate, and the first woman to chair the Senate's
Appropriations Committee. She is tough. She is direct. She
is dedicated. She is a fighter. She is a leader.
Barbara Mikulski has always fought for our families and
our children. From her roots as a social worker and
community activist to the levels of leadership in the
Senate, she has held firm to her adage that she is not
just the Senator from Maryland, she is the Senator for
Maryland. From her first years in the Senate until now,
she has promoted education, nutrition, health care, and
gender equality in the Senate.
She led our historic efforts to pass the Lily Ledbetter
Fair Pay Act--shouting from the rooftops the simple
principle that women deserve equal pay for equal work. She
continued that legacy with the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Wouldn't it be a fitting tribute if the Senate considered
and approved that commonsense legislation before she
retires?
Like others in this Chamber, she was a vocal and
steadfast supporter of the Violence Against Women Act and
our most recent efforts to reauthorize and expand those
life-saving programs. She led the efforts to ensure that
the Affordable Care Act made clear that no one should be
discriminated against in preventive care. Who can forget
her fierce advocacy to make the letter of the law clear
that being a woman is not a preexisting condition?
When Barbara assumed the mantle chairing the
Appropriations Committee, she brought with her the tough
but fair grit that has been her hallmark in the Senate.
When asked about earmarks, her retort was simple: ``I've
told Senators that if you're opposed to earmarks, I'll
honor that and won't include any for your State.'' You
always know where you stand with Barbara Mikulski.
Thirty years ago, when she first came to the Senate,
women filled just two seats in this body. When the Senate
convenes next year, there will be 21. I hope it won't be
another 30 years for the Senate to be truly representative
of the country we serve.
A lifelong Baltimore resident, ``Senator Barb'' has
never forgotten her roots, probably because she never
left. She remains a Marylander through and through,
dedicated to her State and never forgetting that listening
to your constituents is the most important job of all.
When Senator Mikulski announced her retirement, she told
her constituents that the question came down to whether
she wanted to spend her time ``raising money or raising
hell to meet your day-to-day needs?'' That is Barbara.
This rang through in her farewell speech today to the
Senate.
We often talk of the lions of the Senate. Barbara
Mikulski ranks among them. I will miss her fierce
advocacy, her counsel, her commitment, her tenacity, and
her grit. I value her friendship, and we will miss her.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor our
colleagues who are leaving us at the end of this Congress,
six individuals who have done a lot to shape how the
Senate operates today.
First I would like to thank my three Republican
colleagues who are departing. Thank you not only for your
service to our country but your willingness to work with
me and other members of my party on a number of issues.
...
I would also like to speak to three of my closest
colleagues on our side of the aisle.
Over the past 24 years, I have had the pleasure of
serving in the Senate with Harry Reid, Barbara Mikulski,
and Barbara Boxer, and I am grateful not just for our
working relationships but for the close friendships I have
formed with each of them. ...
Mr. President, Barbara Mikulski is another fearless
leader whom I admire.
When I first came to the Senate in November 1992, there
were only three female Senators: Jocelyn Burdick of North
Dakota, who retired a month later; Nancy Kassebaum of
Kansas; and, of course, Senator Barb.
Senator Mikulski often quips, ``I may be short, but I
won't be overlooked.'' History certainly will not overlook
the contributions she has made.
Rising to become the first woman to chair the Senate
Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski is often
described as a trailblazer. To the women in the Senate,
she is a mentor, the dean of the Senate women.
From 3 women in 1992 to 20 women Senators today--and 21
in the next Congress, much of that progress can be
attributed to the leadership of the longest serving woman
in Congress, Senator Mikulski. ...
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I want to take an opportunity
to salute and thank and commend my colleagues who are
departing. ...
We also have other colleagues departing: Senator Ayotte
from New Hampshire; Senator Boxer of California, Senator
Coats of Indiana; as I mentioned, Senator Kirk of
Illinois; Senator Mikulski of Maryland; Senator Reid of
Nevada; and Senator Vitter of Louisiana. Each has brought
passion in their work to best serve their constituents,
and the institution of the Senate and the Nation are
better for this service. I am better for knowing them,
working with them, and having the opportunity to share
with them, and I want to thank them for their service. Let
me mention a few words with respect to all of these
distinguished Senators. ...
Mr. President, Barbara Mikulski--what an extraordinary
individual. She is a pioneer. She was the first Democratic
woman Senator elected in her own right. She is the longest
serving woman in the history of the Congress. Barbara
Mikulski and history are one and the same. She has made
it. She came from very modest roots in Baltimore. She
talked yesterday on the floor about her father and mother
running a small grocery store in her neighborhood. She
took that sense of community, that sense of dedication,
and that sense of selfless service to others. As she said,
she was inspired by the nuns that taught her, and that
inspiration was extraordinary and fully realized in her
life. There are a lot of Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of
Notre Dame who are sitting back today thinking: I knew
that young lady had it in her.
She certainly did. She led us on the Appropriations
Committee, the first woman to chair the committee. She has
done so much to assist me on issues that are so important
to Rhode Island. I must say that she and Kit Bond, one of
her colleagues, were extraordinary in recognizing the
problems of lead exposure in children and providing needed
resources. I thank her for that.
She has assisted the fishermen in communities in Rhode
Island with real assistance and real aid. She has done it
over and over. She has given me profound advice, counsel,
and kindness.
She said yesterday on the floor: ``The best ship in the
world is friendship.'' I agree, but ultimately the measure
of our service and of our days is kindness. I must say
that by that measure, she is a very towering figure in the
Senate, in the history of the United States, and I thank
her. ...
I have been very fortunate. I have had the privilege to
serve with these ladies and gentlemen, and I want to thank
them for their service.
Mr. ENZI. ... Mr. President, I also want to take some
time today to speak about the senior Senator from
Maryland, Barbara Mikulski. In the years to come, Senator
Mikulski will be known for a lot of things that made her
years of service to the people of Maryland quite
remarkable. It will always be mentioned that she has been
the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S.
Congress.
Although that is important, Senator Mikulski did not
come to Washington to see how long she could stay. She
came here to see how much of a difference she could make.
In the end, she served for so many years because of what
she was able to do with her time in the House and then in
the Senate. The people of Maryland have such a strong
affection for Senator Mikulski because they always felt
like she was one of them. She never lost touch with the
people back home.
Her family name was well known to the people in her
neighborhood because her parents ran a grocery store.
Every morning they opened their store early so people
could stop by to pick up something before they headed off
to work.
In that, and so many other ways, her family played an
important role in the day-to-day life of their
neighborhood and her neighbors never forgot that. When the
opportunity came for Senator Mikulski to run for a seat in
the House representing Baltimore, she didn't hesitate. She
took her case to the people and they liked what they
heard. She won what was to be the first of a long series
of elections, each of which she won easily and
impressively.
Senator Mikulski has a number of interests, and one of
the things I am sure she enjoyed about Congress has been
her ability to take up a number of those issues to make a
difference in people's lives. In everything she has done,
she has always found a way to help the people back home. A
key example of that is her fight over ``the road.'' The
battle dates back to 1966 when Barbara was a social worker
in Baltimore. The city council proposed building a highway
to connect downtown Baltimore to its suburbs, a plan that
Barbara worried would cause Polish-Americans, African-
Americans, and lower income residents to lose their homes.
As is her way, Barbara sprung to action by forming a
community group of opposition. The road was blocked.
Barbara wound up on the city council, and the area where
the road was supposed to be built is now one of
Baltimore's biggest draws.
As far as her work in the Senate goes, one of her many
legislative victories that I will long remember is work
she did on something that came to be known as Rosa's Law.
Rosa was a 9-year-old young lady who was diagnosed with
Down syndrome. Her mother was well aware of what a hurtful
label things like ``mental retardation'' and ``mentally
retarded'' were to those who saw them in the Federal laws
that were written to help them. Barbara knew there was
only one solution to this problem and that was to
eliminate those terms from Federal law.
I was pleased to be able to help in the effort to pass
that bill, seeing how much it meant not only to Rosa and
her family but to Senator Barbara Mikulski. Our work on
that bill will stay with me and will be a reminder of the
reason we work so hard to pass legislation and answer the
needs of the people back home.
In the end, it is all about making lives better. That
is something Barbara has done every day of her service in
Congress. As the longest serving woman in Congress, she
has continued to earn the title of ``Dean of Senate
Women.'' She has been a mentor and source of good advice
to her colleagues who appreciated being able to ask for
her opinion and her guidance on their work on the Senate.
She certainly helped me when I was a new Senator and
was advocating for low-income housing in Jackson, one of
the rich areas of our State. With her support, we got that
done and made sure there was a mix in the community of
different occupations and people.
Her reputation has been to not only help the Members of
the Senate with whom she has served, it also helped serve
to encourage the women of Maryland to get active and
involved in the work that must be done to make her home
State and our Nation better places to live. In a very real
sense, her leadership skills have inspired the next
generation of Maryland's leaders.
Now Senator Mikulski is leaving the Senate after having
made a difference and leaving her mark on the history of
Congress. One of the key things she will be remembered for
is her tireless support of NIH. I know they will miss her
and her commitment to the principles and values that
guided her through her career, from her service on the
Baltimore City Council to her work in the House of
Representatives and then the Senate. She made a difference
everywhere she served. For that reason and for many more,
she will never be forgotten.
My wife Diana and I join in sending our best wishes to
Senator Mikulski for her years of service. Now that her
Senate adventure has come to an end, she will undoubtedly
come up with more challenges to pursue in the years to
come. I am hoping these plans might include a followup to
her mystery novel that was set in the Senate. We are
looking forward to seeing what the next chapter of her
life may include.
Good luck to these fellow Senators.
Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, today I wish to honor my
friend, colleague, and mentor from Maryland, Senator
Barbara Mikulski, who is retiring at the end of this year.
Barbara has an impressively long and distinguished career
in public service, representing her home State of Maryland
in Congress for nearly 40 years.
Since I came to the Senate in 2013, it has been a
pleasure to serve alongside titans like Senator Mikulski.
As a matter of fact, my first official Senate office was
tucked in between hers and then-Senator Rockefeller's on
the fifth floor of Hart. As neighbors we formed a friendly
bond, and I oftentimes would stop by to chat with her or
sometimes just Mrs. O'Malley, who runs a tight ship. On
occasion, Senator Rockefeller and I would overstay our
welcome, and Mrs. O'Malley would kick us out and send us
back to our offices. For those of you who don't know, Mrs.
O'Malley has played a critical role in Senator Mikulski's
office for nearly 30 years and has helped instill the
values of hard work and dedication to a generation of Hill
staffers.
As the longest serving woman in Congress, Senator
Mikulski has inspired a generation of women to pursue
careers in public service and run for higher office. As
dean of the women Senators, Barbara worked to mentor new
women Senators on how to be effective legislators and
build coalitions across party lines to advance landmark
legislation. The bipartisan women's group has met
regularly under her leadership, helping bridge partisan
divides that so often plague this Chamber by getting
Senators to know each other on a personal level over her
homemade Maryland crabcakes.
One cannot mention Senator Mikulski without also
mentioning her fierce advocacy and determination to make
Maryland and our country a better place to live, work, and
raise a family. One of the first bills I cosponsored when
I came to the Senate was the Violence Against Women
Reauthorization Act, VAWA, which Barbara played a critical
role in originally passing. Since its passage in 1994,
VAWA has been effective in responding to domestic
violence. Additionally, she has worked tirelessly in the
fight to close the pay gap for women, who currently earn
about three-quarters of what men earn, by advancing the
Paycheck Fairness Act, which I have proudly cosponsored
twice now. Women shouldn't make 77 percent of what men
earn for the same job. This hurts families who are just
looking to take care of their kids, put food on their
table, and keep a roof over their heads.
Just as Senator Mikulski has been an advocate for
families, she also understands the critical role science,
research, and innovation play in creating economic growth
in the United States. Maryland is home to several great
institutions, such as the Goddard Space Flight Center,
which I had the pleasure of visiting last fall, that are
at the forefront of their respective fields. When I was at
Goddard, the Director showed me the fascinating work their
researchers and engineers are engaged in and how NASA's
various missions help us enhance crop production and be
better stewards of our planet. Her work on the Senate
Appropriations Committee has helped keep the United States
at the forefront of scientific discovery and technological
innovation.
Senator Mikulski is the best of American public service.
She is smart, honest, empathetic, and outrageously funny.
She has earned her reputation as a force to be reckoned
with. On her next chapter, I wish her Godspeed--and may
the force be with her.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. ... Madam President, I will close my
remarks by turning to some of our retiring Senators and
speaking briefly on each one of them. ...
So there are two other Senators who are retiring this
week, and one of them is Senator Barbara Mikulski. She has
been, as the Presiding Officer [Mrs. Capito] knows, the
dean of the women in the Senate for a very long time. She
is the queen of one liners, and one of my favorite ones is
one she uses when she talks about women elected officials.
She always says: ``We see things not just at the macro
level but at the macaroni-and-cheese level.''
After a few years when I had been in the Senate, she
called us into the President's Room--a number of the women
Senators--to gear up for a debate that mattered to the
women of this country. She, literally--being short, as she
is--stood on the couch in that room and said, ``Gear up.
Square your shoulders. Put your lipstick on. Get ready for
the revolution.''
Now, at the time, I was not even sure what the
revolution was. I was thinking all the time that she had
probably used that line for maybe much weightier things.
But that is her life. She is an advocate. She is a leader.
She is someone who has championed the women of the Senate
and all women in elected office. She is the one who was
here first, of her own making. She is not someone who took
over a seat after a husband or father had died. She ran,
and she ran on her own merit, and she leaves on her own
merit. She leaves on the merit of passing incredibly
important bills for Maryland, incredibly important
legislation for this country. I will miss her as a mentor,
and we will always miss her dearly. ...
So we are going to miss Senator Reid, Senator Mikulski,
and, also, Senator Boxer.
Mr. McCONNELL. ... It goes without saying that keeping
the Capitol running is a vast undertaking. It requires a
passion for service, round-the-clock work, and great
sacrifice by everyone employed. The legislative process
simply wouldn't be possible without the dedicated work of
so many. On behalf of the Senate, I would like to
acknowledge their efforts and say thank you to the
following:
To my leadership team for their wise counsel; to our
committee chairs and ranking members for so much great
work over the past 2 years; to the many colleagues in both
parties for working so hard to make this Senate a success;
and, to those we are saying farewell to--Senators Coats,
Boxer, Mikulski, Reid, Vitter, Kirk, and Ayotte--for your
service to our country, I say thank you. ...
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to
Barbara Mikulski, who is retiring from the Senate this
year, having spent 40 years serving the people of Maryland
in Congress.
Senator Mikulski has been a trailblazer all her life.
She grew up in east Baltimore and attended Mount Saint
Agnes College and the University of Maryland School of
Social Work. She began her career as a social worker and
community organizer before being elected to the Baltimore
City Council in 1971. In 1976, Senator Mikulski won
election to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she
served for 10 years before winning election to the Senate
in 1986.
At the time Senator Mikulski began her Senate service,
she was one of only two female Senators. Today there are
20 female Senators. Next Congress there will be 21.
Senator Mikulski has served as a role model and mentor for
many of these leaders. She is the longest serving woman in
the history of the U.S. Congress and retires as an icon
for many young women who dream of serving their country in
elected office.
Senator Mikulski has been a leader for many years on
health care, education, and veterans issues. She is the
first woman and first Marylander to chair the Senate
Appropriations Committee, one of the most influential
committees in Congress. Senator Mikulski has been a strong
supporter of our Nation's space program throughout her
time in Congress and was instrumental in the creation and
launch of the Hubble and Webb space telescopes. She even
has a supernova named after her--Supernova Mikulski.
Senator Mikulski has fought long and hard for the people
of Maryland and for the issues she believes in. She is
tenacious and dedicated and knows how to get things done.
I wish her the very best as she moves on to her next
endeavor.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute
to a dear friend and colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski,
as she retires after three decades in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Mikulski has been serving the people of Maryland
in one form or another for more than 50 years.
From her time as a social worker helping at-risk
children and seniors, to the Baltimore City Council, to
her four decades of service in the U.S. Congress, Senator
Mikulski has always been a strong champion for women, for
working families, and for Maryland.
On the rare occasion I have found myself on the other
side of an issue from Senator Mikulski, as we in Virginia
occasionally have been, I actually find myself wishing
Maryland had a little bit less of a tenacious advocate in
the Senate than Barbara Mikulski.
But luckily for me, I have much more often had the good
fortune to be standing side by side with Senator Mikulski.
I have been proud to work with her and learn from her on
a great many issues which will remain her legacies even
after she leaves the Senate.
In her position on the Senate Appropriations Committee,
for instance, Senator Mikulski has been instrumental in
making sure the Federal Government abides by its
commitments to Metro, and we have worked together to
improve oversight of the system's safety.
In an environment where they are more often treated as
political punching bags than like the dedicated public
servants they are, Federal employees have always known
that they can count on Senator Mikulski to have their
backs.
Senator Mikulski might occasionally have trouble
reaching the microphones--but when it comes to the issues
affecting women, children, working families, and Maryland,
Senator Mikulski's voice is nearly always the loudest
voice in the room.
Today there are more students in school, more women in
the workforce, and fewer seniors living in poverty as a
result of her determination and her leadership.
It is well known in this body that Senator Mikulski is a
force of nature, with a wit to match.
Her signature one liners aren't just funny--though they
usually are--but she also has a way of cutting to the
heart of the issue and speaking directly to people that I
know will be greatly missed by both her colleagues and her
constituents.
It is no surprise that the people of Maryland have
chosen, over and over again, to send this extraordinary
leader back to the Senate on their behalf.
Today there are 20 women Senators, but when Barbara
Mikulski first decided to ``suit up'' and run for the
Senate, women in public office at any level were a rarity
indeed--rarer still in this body.
Thirty years after President Reagan, campaigning for her
opponent in that first Senate race, predicted that Barbara
Mikulski would go the way of other short-lived fads like
the ``Edsel, the hula hoop, and the all-asparagus diet,''
Senator Mikulski retires from the Senate as the longest
serving woman in congressional history.
So while she may be leaving us here in the Senate, one
of Senator Barb's greatest legacies may be inspiring
generations of American women to follow in her footsteps.
Senator Mikulski, thank you for your service and your
friendship.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the many
accomplishments of my colleague Senator Barbara Mikulski,
the dean of the Senate women. When she took office during
the 100th Congress in 1987, Barbara was the first
Democratic woman Senator elected in her own right. There
were only two women Senators at the time, Barbara and
Nancy Kassebaum. Certain expectations that we could
consider arcane, such as women were expected to wear
skirts or dresses on the floor, were still in place. In
1993, Barbara, Nancy, and their staffs mounted a simple
protest--they wore trousers on the Senate floor.
``The Senate parliamentarian had looked at the rules to
see if it was OK,'' she recounted. ``So, I walk on that
day and you would have thought I was walking on the Moon.
It caused a big stir.''
As someone who rarely wears skirts and only wears
pantsuits on the Senate floor, I and many others are
grateful. This simple act of commonsense defiance, if you
will, in a body steeped in tradition, exemplifies
Barbara's approach to getting things done and getting on
with the important matters of the day. That she is a
trailblazer goes without saying.
Throughout her time in the Senate, Barbara has fought
for equal pay for equal work. The gender pay gap costs
women hundreds of thousands of dollars over their
lifetime. She led the charge in the Senate to pass the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and I am proud to stand with
her in calling for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness
Act and other equal pay proposals.
As our dean, usually over dinner, we get to know each
other on a personal level. In a body where these
opportunities are rare, it matters. During summer 2014, it
was my turn to host our gathering. I greeted each Senator
with a lei, served local food from Hawaii, and hosted a
hula performance. The aloha spirit was definitely present.
The next day, Barbara told me that the dinner was very
special and gave her a better understanding about what it
must be like to be in Hawaii. It meant a lot to me for
Barbara to make that observation because Hawaii truly is a
special place where embracing and caring for others, our
ohana, is how we aspire to live.
Barbara has shown her aloha spirit to me and so many
others throughout her time in public service. I will miss
her wit, leadership, drive, and compassion.
Aloha, Barbara, and a hui hou, ``until we meet again.''
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, today I want to pay tribute to
two colleagues who are retiring at the end of this year,
Senator Boxer and Senator Mikulski, two remarkable
Democratic women Senators leaving the Senate as four new
women come in. ...
Mr. President, this year we are also saying farewell to
our colleague, Barbara Mikulski, the senior Senator from
Maryland.
Senator Mikulski first entered politics almost 50 years
ago when she was elected to the Baltimore City Council in
1971. Five years later, she was elected to the U.S. House
of Representatives and, a decade after that, she was
elected to the U.S. Senate.
Senator Mikulski is the longest serving woman in the
history of Congress and is the first woman Senator to be
elected in her own right.
These achievements are notable, but they are not what
inspired Barbara to come to work every day.
Senator Mikulski once remarked that, ``Each one of us
can make a difference. Together, we make change.'' That is
what Barbara Mikulski sought to do every day.
As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions Committee, Senator Mikulski has championed
education, workers' rights, and health care. She has stood
up for our children and our seniors.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee since she
arrived in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski has worked
tirelessly to ensure that the programs that advance those
priorities receive the funding they need to be successful.
Margaret Chase Smith once said, ``Public service must be
more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be
a complete dedication to the people and the nation.''
Senator Mikulski dedicated her life to the people of
Maryland and the country. We will miss her in this Chamber
and wish her well.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as this eventful 114th
Congress draws to a close, today I wish to honor a number
of our colleagues who will be ending their service in the
Senate. I was a newcomer to the Senate at the beginning of
this Congress and the only Democrat in the freshman Senate
class of 2014. I am eternally grateful for the guidance
and wisdom of my fellow Senators, particularly those with
decades of experience fighting for the American people.
Constituents, colleagues, and historians will recount
their accomplishments for years to come, but I will take a
few minutes now to convey some brief words of praise and
gratitude. ...
Mr. President, I would also like to honor Senator
Barbara Mikulski, who blazed a trail for women in the
Senate and always looks out for the members of our
communities no matter their gender, race, or identity. As
the father of two daughters, as well as a son, I greatly
admire Senator Mikulski's work to break barriers for
women. She has fiercely fought to ensure that all women
have access to essential health care services, is a
champion for equal pay, and passed legislation that
expanded childcare access for all families.
A daughter of Baltimore and a former social worker,
Senator Mikulski also knows the challenges that our
communities face. She has been dedicated to supporting our
older industrial communities like Baltimore and Detroit so
that they can compete in the new economy. I would also
like to recognize her leadership as vice chairwoman on the
Appropriations Committee. We owe her a debt of gratitude
for her eagle eye and unrelenting spirit in defending
essential programs in areas including health care,
education, job creation, infrastructure, and national
security. Our work on breaking down barriers and advancing
these priorities is not yet done, but I thank Senator
Mikulski for leading the way. ...
It has been a privilege to work with such talented and
committed colleagues. I wish them all the best in this
next chapter of their lives and thank them for their work.
Thank you.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENTS
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of
materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to
retiring Members of the 114th Congress, and an additional
Senate document a compilation of materials from the
Congressional Record in tribute to the President of the
Senate, Joe Biden, and that Members have until Tuesday,
December 20, to submit such tributes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
ORDER FOR PRINTING
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
any tributes submitted by December 20, 2016, as authorized
by the order of December 10, 2016, be printed in the
January 3, 2017, Congressional Record of the 114th
Congress.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Proceedings in the House of Representatives
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and join with my
colleagues from Maryland in congratulating and saluting
Senator Barbara Mikulski on her amazing and outstanding
career.
They often say of people that, once they start their
career, they never look back. Well, in Senator Mikulski's
case, she always looked back. She always remembered where
she came from, and she fought for the people of east
Baltimore every step of the way.
I had the pleasure over the years, as I attended events
with Senator Mikulski, of gathering what I call Mikulski-
isms, these golden nuggets of wisdom that you can live by.
I wanted to mention a few.
She used to talk about the need to cooperate. She used
to say: ``I am not into finger-pointing; I am into
pinpointing.''
She said, ``When others are wringing their hands, we
need to come with a helping hand.''
She talked about the fact that, behind every me, is a
``we.''
She talked about how people have three shifts every day:
they work at their job, they come home and they work for
their family, and they serve in their community.
I remember her once referring to a particularly futile
effort as ``spitting off the Bay Bridge to raise the
tide.''
We love to remember Senator Mikulski's voice. We are
going to miss her in this place, but we are going to
remember that voice that fought for Baltimore, for
Maryland, and for America.
Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Senator
Barbara Mikulski, the longtime quarterback of Team
Maryland, on the occasion of her well-deserved retirement
after nearly four decades in Congress.
Senator Mikulski has truly made history, both by her
extraordinary longevity and her tenacious leadership. She
is the longest serving woman in the Senate, and the first
Democratic woman elected to the Chamber in her own right.
Barbara and I bonded over our shared passion for local
government. We both know it is where the rubber meets the
road, and we both believe that all politics is local. That
is what has made her so popular and so effective.
We have both worked hand in hand as appropriators,
Senator Mikulski as the ranking member of her respective
committee. She has worked tirelessly for critical
resources to improve our roads, schools, and police, to
create jobs, and create opportunities.
There are two things about Senator Mikulski that have
always impressed me in her public service.
First, she always relates to her father's corner store
on South Eden Street in Baltimore City. When he opened his
doors each day, he would say, ``How may I help you?''
Senator Mikulski often quotes that mantra and, more
important, lives by it every day of her life for the
people of the State of Maryland.
The second thing that impresses me is a saying she
always says, ``It is not about the building.'' Senator
Mikulski has never cared about the bricks and mortar. She
cares about the people who work inside the building, what
they can do, how they help the citizens, and how she can
help them.
Barbara, for all you have done for Baltimore, for
Maryland, and for the country, the words ``thank you''
just don't seem enough. I am very proud to call you my
friend and mentor, and I wish you all the best in the days
ahead.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to someone
whom I have known and called a friend for many years--over
three decades, perhaps four--Barbara Mikulski--the tallest
short person I have ever met. She fills a room. Everybody
knows when Barbara Mikulski is in the Chamber or in the
room or in the auditorium.
Barbara Mikulski, as you have heard, will retire at the
end of this Congress after having served Maryland in the
House and Senate since 1977. I had the opportunity to
serve with her in this House for some 6 years.
For 40 years, she has been a voice for the people of our
State, not just a voice for all people, but, in
particular, for those people whose voices needed
amplifying: the poor, the sick, the overworked, the
underpaid, the Baltimore dockworkers worried for their
jobs, the women earning less than their male colleagues
for the same work, the children in foster care or in
homeless shelters. All of them have come to see Barbara
Mikulski as their champion.
In many ways, she began her career as a social worker
and brought that work to Congress. She returns as one of
the most successful social workers in history. She has
worked hard to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, to support
America's first responders, and to broaden our exploration
of space and science. What a giant she has been for NASA.
She has helped seniors afford health care and keep
America's promise to its veterans. She passed the Lilly
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, introduced the Paycheck Fairness
Act to end the wage gap once and for all, and has fought
continuously to raise the minimum wage.
Senator Mikulski blazed the trail as the longest serving
woman in the history of Congress; was the first woman to
be elected without a relative as a predecessor; and was
the first woman and first Marylander to chair the
Appropriations Committee. She has left an indelible mark
on millions across Maryland and across America.
I have been proud to serve alongside her and I will miss
her in the Capitol as I know so many others will as well.
My colleagues and I rise. We will lament the loss of
Senator Mikulski as our colleague in the Congress, but we
will be so proud that we have been able to call her
colleague and friend.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity to
reflect, once again, on Senator Mikulski's vision for
America and upon all that she has achieved in public life.
On a personal note, I am deeply grateful that God has
given me the opportunity to know and work with a woman who
all would agree is a remarkable human being and a person I
am honored to call my friend.
Barbara Mikulski's progressive values are solid, and
they are clear, and we have always known that she would
fight for all of us every single day. Less well known,
however, is Barbara Mikulski's lifetime vision of bringing
all of America's working families together in support of
progressive change. Here is a dream that ties together her
roots in Highlandtown, in Baltimore, with my own heritage
from south Baltimore and west Baltimore.
She is, indeed, a very special woman. She has never
forgotten from whence she has come. One of the things I
also love about Barbara Mikulski is that she consistently
synchronizes her conduct with her conscience.
We will miss her, but we know that Barbara will always
be fighting for the people of our great city, for the
great people of the State of Maryland, and for the people
of these great United States.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, long before the last ``Star
Wars'' movie came out, I said, ``When Senator Mikulski is
with you, the Force is with you.''
Senator Mikulski has been a powerful force for good in
Maryland and throughout the Nation. She has been a fierce
fighter for American workers, for our veterans, for our
seniors, and for people from all walks of life. Her
leadership on the Appropriations Committee brought vital
investments to the thriving Port of Baltimore and to the
Social Security Administration. She has supported security
missions in places like Fort Meade, investments in life-
saving research at the NIH, and discoveries at NASA. She
authored the very first bill that was signed by President
Obama, the Lilly Ledbetter law, to give women who faced
pay discrimination their day in court.
Barbara Mikulski started in politics by fighting a plan
to build a highway through her beloved neighborhood of
Fells Point. She won that fight, and, 40 years later, she
is still waging and winning fights for working families.
A few years back, when NASA's scientists discovered a
new supernova, they named it Supernova Mikulski, and I
know her legacy will always burn bright for Maryland and
for our country.
Thank you, Senator Barb.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as a Representative from Ohio
and as the senior woman in the House, I join my remarks to
those of former Congresswoman and now U.S. Senator from
Maryland, Barbara Mikulski, in tribute to her incredible
service.
When I first arrived, she was a Member of this House,
and I remember how gracious she was to me. Her background
from working class, blue collar America--from a steel town
like Baltimore, which has transformed since then--brought
the concerns and the passion of someone from the working
class. She continued on that road every single day whether
she was here on the House side or went to the other body
as the longest serving woman in U.S. history. Imagine
that.
Baltimore is famous for having little steps that people
go into their bungalows from, and she took a giant leap.
Even though she was probably still one of the shortest
Members of Congress physically, she remains one of the
tallest women in American history. I think of her when I
look at the dome of the Capitol, and I see the woman
facing east--the symbol of liberty. She held aloft high
not just the flag, but the vision for an America inclusive
of all.
We wish her Godspeed in the years ahead. I maintain my
fond memories of her and of her incredible leadership on
every subcommittee on which she served and of the
honorable service that she provided not just to the
citizens of Maryland, but to our entire country.
God bless you, Senator Mikulski, your family, your
friends, and those who value your service beyond measure.
[all]