[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2163-S2164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTES TO SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I wish to add my voice to those of my 
colleagues paying tribute to the senior Senator from Maryland, who 
recently became the longest-serving female Member of Congress in 
American history.
  Senator Barbara Mikulski and I were first elected to the Senate at 
the same time. Over the past 26 years she has been a colleague, a 
legislative partner, and a friend. Courageous, determined, and 
honorable are only a few of the words I use when describing Senator 
Mikulski.
  Senator Mikulski has devoted her life to public service. She began 
her career as a social worker in Baltimore, where she worked with high-
risk children and educated seniors about Medicare. In 1971, she 
transitioned into politics by attaining a seat on the Baltimore City 
Council. As a council member, she continued to advocate for those in 
need. In 1976, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, 
where she became the first woman ever to sit on the influential Energy 
and Commerce Committee. As a member of the House, she worked on a 
variety of important legislation, including funding for shelters for 
battered spouses.
  Issues concerning women have always been a passion of Senator 
Mikulski's. From sponsoring the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to being a 
leader in women's health issues, she has been a champion for women's 
rights.
  Senator Mikulski was particularly helpful to me during the Grand 
Forks flooding in 1997. When our third largest city was devastated by 
flooding and fire, Senator Mikulski stood with Grand Forks residents 
every step of the way as we fought for Community Development Block 
Grant funding to recover and rebuild. Her support was critical. More 
recently, Senator Mikulski joined me in pushing for comparative 
effectiveness research as part of health reform, so that patients and 
doctors can have better information on which treatments and medical 
interventions are most effective and which amount to wasteful spending.
  Senator Mikulski is a fierce advocate for her constituents--and for 
working men and women everywhere. She will never back down from a cause 
she believes in, and she has compiled an impressive record of results. 
I congratulate her on being the longest-serving female Member of 
Congress.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a 
true trailblazer, my colleague Senator Barbara Mikulski. Earlier this 
month, she crossed a major milestone by becoming the longest serving 
woman in Congress.
  Before she set her sights on Congress, Senator Mikulski worked as a 
community activist, social worker, and a member of the Baltimore City 
Council. In 1977, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
from Maryland's Third Congressional District. At that time, she was one 
of only 21 women serving in Congress.
  She never let any misguided stereotypes or long odds slow her down. 
Ten years later, she won her first race for the U.S. Senate and in the 
process became the first Democratic woman elected to this Chamber from 
the State of Maryland. She immediately lent her voice to issues like 
education, health care, and national service.
  Along the way, she has given a voice not only to families and the 
middle class but also sent a powerful message to women all across this 
Nation. If there were ever any doubt, they now know for sure that they 
deserve a seat at the table in Congress. And her message is being 
heard. Since Senator Mikulski first was elected to the House of 
Representatives, the number of women serving in Congress today has 
increased to 92.
  I have gotten to know Barbara well, especially through our work on 
the Senate Appropriations Committee. I know she would rather we focus 
on her accomplishments regardless of her gender, but Senator Mikulski 
has blazed an important path. Along the way, she has never forgotten 
the value of hard work that was instilled in her from an early age. She 
has also built the kind of working relationships you need to get things 
done.
  There is a reason the people of Maryland have sent Barbara Mikulski 
back to the Congress time and again. She is telling their story and 
making sure that every voice has a chance to be heard. I want to 
congratulate her on this milestone. It is an important one for her and 
her family, and I believe it is symbolic of the gains we have seen our 
Nation make since she first was elected to Congress more than 35 years 
ago.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, in 1977, Jimmy Carter became our Nation's 
President, Elvis Presley died, and ``Rocky'' won the Oscar as best 
picture.
  It was also the year my colleague, Barbara Mikulski, came to 
Congress. She has served since then, for 10 years in the House and 
since 1987 in the Senate, with exemplary dedication to our Nation and 
its working families. Those of us who have had the pleasure to serve 
with her in the Senate and all the citizens of Maryland who have 
elected her to represent them celebrate this moment, for Senator 
Mikulski has become the longest serving female Member of Congress in 
our Nation's history.
  Barbara Mikulski is the first female Democrat to have served in both 
the House and the Senate, as well as being the first Democratic woman 
to be elected to the Senate without succeeding a spouse or father. She 
is, among all of us, truly a path breaker.
  When she entered the Senate, there was only one other female Member 
of this body. Today, there are 17. Barbara Mikulski has served as an 
inspiration, a leader, and a mentor to generations of women seeking to 
secure their rightful place as members of our Nation's highest 
legislative bodies.
  Throughout her time in both the House and the Senate, she has worked 
tirelessly on behalf of the elderly, veterans, the poor, hard-pressed 
families, and our Nation's children. Daughter of a grocer, her roots 
are in Baltimore. She may have come a long way to play her important 
role here in Washington, but what makes her such a vital voice in 
Congress is that she has never lost touch with the values and needs of 
the blue-collar neighborhood of Highlandtown where she grew up.
  Barbara Mikulski entered politics as an activist and a populist, and 
she has remained true to that initial motivation. Barbara Mikulski 
genuinely cares about the people of our Nation about all the people, 
not just the wealthy or the famous or the influential.
  She understands the difficulties faced by working families as their 
incomes have been stagnant, as unions have declined, as disparities in 
wealth and income have widened dramatically. She is passionately 
committed to the importance of education for our young people, just as 
she respects and fights for our nation's elderly and their security as 
they negotiate the later years of life.
  We serve together on the HELP Committee, on which she has long been a 
leader. No one, no one, better exemplifies the values of caring for 
those who are all too easy to forget working families, the elderly, the 
poor, the children than Barbara Mikulski. Having worked with them both, 
I know how completely she has taken on the mantle of her friend Ted 
Kennedy and kept our committee focused on those whose needs are 
greatest.
  As we celebrate the inspiration Barbara Mikulski has been for the 
women of the Senate, Maryland, and the country, let's not forget that 
she has also been an inspiration to all of us. She has shown us how to 
fight for the powerless

[[Page S2164]]

and how to cast votes based on ethical values and a deep commitment to 
our fellow men and women, not based on political expediency.
  For that leadership, both as a great female legislator and as an 
accomplished legislator with a lifelong commitment to improving the 
lives of all Americans, we honor her.
  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to my esteemed 
colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski from the great State of Maryland. I 
am honored to recognize the historic achievements of my fellow Senator. 
On Saturday she became the longest-serving woman in congressional 
history after serving more than 35 years in both the House and Senate. 
Originally a social worker and community organizer in Baltimore, 
Senator Mikulski's congressional legacy began in 1976 when she was 
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Ten years later with her 
election into the U.S. Senate she became the first female Senator from 
Maryland as well as the first woman to be elected to both the House and 
Senate. Senator Mikulski deserves great honor and reverence for her 
dedication to the people of Maryland, the United States, and to the 
institution of the Senate.
  Three years ago I entered these chambers as a freshman from a faraway 
State. Senator Mikulski was already known as a legend, to me and so 
many of my constituents. Since then, she has been an inspiration--and, 
to no one's surprise, a straight shooter and passionate advocate of her 
issues. More than once, when I have not yet signed onto one of her 
bills--usually something near and dear to her, like child abuse 
prevention--she has cornered me. And in a tough stance, all 4 feet 5 
inches of her, she'll tell me why it is my duty to sign the bill. She 
is always right, and I am happy to follow her lead on such issues.
  Throughout her time in Congress Senator Mikulski has been a champion 
for civil rights, fighting to end discrimination of all kinds. As the 
chairwoman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
she has continually fought to end discrimination in the workplace. In 
2011 she was a sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which ensures 
equal pay, regardless of gender.
  She has also defended our Nation's teachers and students by fighting 
for more affordable and accessible education and supporting the needs 
of rural school districts. Just this year she introduced legislation 
that would ensure veterans who receive educational assistance from the 
Department of Veterans Affairs also receive adequate counseling when 
considering their educational options.
  Senator Mikulski's accomplishments are numerous and diverse, from the 
day-to-day needs of workers, business owners, and students to the 
strengthening of scientific innovation and research. Senator Mikulski 
deserves great honor and esteem for her dedication to fighting for the 
good of the people of Maryland and the Nation.
  I am honored to serve alongside such a devoted advocate, and I look 
forward to her continued service in the U.S. Senate. She began her 
tenure in 1977 as one of 21 women serving in the House and today is one 
of 17 women in the Senate. She has helped paved the way for future 
generations. Yet she likely would not agree that women have come a long 
way over those years; instead she will say there is a long way to go.
  Today I congratulate and pay homage to Senator Barbara Mikulski. She 
is a friend, a mentor, and--so very often--the good conscience of the 
United States Senate.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to 
speak in honor of Senator Barbara Mikulski. I join my colleagues in 
recognizing her for becoming the longest serving female Member of 
Congress in our Nation's history.
  I know Senator Mikulski is more interested in results than 
milestones, but this is an appropriate moment to congratulate her for 
all that she has accomplished. She is both a tenacious fighter and 
gracious colleague.
  The true measure of a society is how we treat people in the dawn and 
twilight years of their lives. By that standard, Senator Mikulski's 
career has been extraordinary.
  From the start of her career in public service as a Baltimore social 
worker helping at-risk kids and seniors to today, she has been a 
champion for children and the elderly. She has been a champion for 
education, research, and veterans, and she has been an unflinching 
champion for Maryland.
  Senator Mikulski has also been a friend since my first days in the 
Senate. Early on she reached out to me to explain the appropriations 
process in the Senate. My father, who spent his entire career in the 
U.S. House of Representatives, was always suspicious of the Senate. So 
to a freshman Senator making the transition from the House, hers was a 
welcome and reassuring gesture, kind of like the folksy gesture of 
calling me ``cowboy,'' which always brings a smile to my face.
  Senator Mikulski's style is a powerful counter to the old Washington 
joke that there are actually three political parties: Democrats, 
Republicans, and appropriators. She always values the input of other 
Senators and strives to balance the many competing priorities of all 
the Members of this body. For example, we have worked together on the 
Joint Polar Satellite System. This program is over budget and behind 
schedule, but it is also indispensible to public safety and our 
economy. As an appropriator, she has the unenviable challenge of 
striving to continually put this program on firm financial footing. In 
the process, she has repeatedly asked for my perspective and welcomed 
me into the process. This is above and beyond the call of duty but is 
so typical of Barbara Mikulski.
  Many have compared Senator Mikulski's streak to another famous 
Marylander's--Cal Ripken, Jr. I think Cal would agree with Barbara when 
she said, ``It's not only how long I serve, but how well I serve.''
  She has undoubtedly served this institution, this country, and 
Maryland very well.
  I commend Senator Barbara Mikulski for her 35 years of service in 
Congress and look forward to her future successes.

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