[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 177 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H7553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI

  (Mr. RUPPERSBERGER asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  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 importantly, lives by it every day of her life for the people 
of the State of Maryland.
  The other 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.

                          ____________________