[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S104-S105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  COMMENDING SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, on January 5, 2011, Senator Barbara 
Mikulski of Maryland became the longest-serving female Senator in the 
history of our country. Breaking this record, which was set by an 
extraordinary woman in her own time Margaret Chase Smith of Maine--is 
only one of many milestones Barbara Mikulski has reached during her 
tenure in elective office. Additional milestones are: first female 
Democrat to serve in both Chambers of Congress; the first female 
Democrat elected to the Senate without succeeding a husband or a 
father; and the first female to chair one of the most sought-after 
Appropriations subcommittees. The history books will rightly mark these 
achievements for the benefit of generations to come.
  In addition, Barbara Mikulski is known and will be remembered as a 
fierce fighter for the people of Maryland, an advocate for working 
families, the small business owner, and seniors looking for help and 
support in their later years. Her advocacy for and in defense of 
Federal workers is legendary. They may be faceless bureaucrats to some, 
but to Senator Mikulski they are her friends and neighbors. And they 
most certainly have found a champion in Barbara Mikulski. Every day, 
she brings that definitive fighting spirit to the Senate, championing 
the causes she holds dear--women's health, extended access to higher 
education, the concerns of our Nation's veterans and the advancement of 
our space program, to name just a few. She is renowned in the Halls of 
Congress for her toughness and tenacity, commanding the respect and 
appreciation of her constituents and people across the country.
  Besides these milestones and significant legislative accomplishments, 
it is also important to note Senator Mikulski's unique willingness and 
enthusiasm for mentoring others. I have been the beneficiary of her 
special attention, guidance and sage advice, as have many of my peers. 
She has helped us find our footing and navigate the peculiar ways of 
the Senate. It is truly extraordinary--and one of her most admirable 
qualities--that someone of her stature, who wields so much influence, 
always seems to be able to find the time to help and take interest in 
others, women in particular. Senator Mikulski is a remarkable leader in 
that way. She continues to serve as an inspiration to us all. I know 
she will remain a pathfinder, a visionary and a courageous leader for 
the people of Maryland and for our Nation. Another Barbara--Barbara 
Coloroso, the international bestselling author on parenting and 
teaching--once observed that ``the beauty of empowering others is that 
your own power is not diminished in the process.'' That truth holds 
special meaning for those of us fortunate enough to have been empowered 
through our association and friendship with the senior Senator from 
Maryland.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, as we embark on a new year and a new 
Congress, I stand here today to congratulate my colleague, Barbara 
Mikulski, on becoming the longest serving female Senator in our 
Nation's history. Her work in these Halls has made our country 
stronger. And in a place where partisan rancor too often rules the day, 
she has established a legacy of

[[Page S105]]

service that stands as an example to us all.
  Her political career began in the late 1960s when she launched a 
campaign to stop the construction of a highway over historic 
neighborhoods in Baltimore. Once she won that battle, she decided to 
run for the Baltimore City Council in 1971. Forty years later, and 
following a successful stint in the U.S. House of Representatives, 
Barbara Mikulski continues to blaze an impressive trail. During her 26 
years in the Senate, she became the first woman to sit on the Senate 
Appropriations Committee, the first Democratic woman elected to Senate 
leadership, and now has crossed yet another milestone, passing Senator 
Margaret Chase Smith of Maine as the longest serving female Senator.
  It is not just the length of her service that we celebrate, it is its 
quality. No one is better at drilling down to the gist of an issue, and 
expressing it in punchy unforgettable terms. No one cheers us more than 
when she tells us to ``stand tall, square our shoulders, put on our 
lipstick and rise to the occasion.'' No one better combines the 
idealism of politics with the proactive abilities of government. As she 
told me once with a twinkle in her eye, ``I'm a reformer, and a bit of 
a ward heeler too.'' More than anything, she never forgot her roots as 
a champion for those who need one.
  In her years in the Senate, Barbara Mikulski's dedication to her 
constituents and women's rights has been clear: from becoming a 
champion of women's health issues and abortion rights, to organizing 
training seminars for woman of both parties elected to the Senate, to 
sponsoring and pushing through the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 
2009.
  During my 4 years as a U.S. Senator, I have had the great privilege 
to work with her to pass landmark health care reform legislation out of 
the HELP Committee. I also serve with her on the Intelligence 
Committee, and worked closely with her on the Senate Intelligence 
Committee's Cyber Task Force to evaluate cyber threats and issue 
recommendations to the full committee.
  And, while Rhode Island and Maryland are hundreds of miles apart, 
Barbara and her staff are truly my neighbors here in the Senate. Her 
office is next door to mine in the Hart Building. From a friendly hello 
to each other as we pass in the hall, to accompanying each other as we 
walk to the Senate floor, to the delicious treats her wonderful 
receptionist Mrs. O'Malley occasionally makes for our office, it has 
truly been a pleasure to share our little corner of the Hart Building.
  I know that all of us here in this Chamber are proud to call 
``Senator Barb'' our colleague and friend as she makes history. Her 
hard work and independent spirit have enriched the Senate and I wish 
her all the best in the years to come. On behalf of all Rhode 
Islanders, I congratulate you for this milestone in our Nation's 
history.

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