Barbara Mikulski: “We are troubled over these continually shrinking resources. Remember, we are given a cap on discretionary spending.”

We are safe, we are secure, and we are undeterred.

As the longest serving woman in congressional history, I proudly stand on the shoulders of the suffragists who fought bravely and boldly for generations to secure women's political equality.

Without a monument to the great women of American history who paved the way for us to fully participate in and shape our democracy, the telling of the American story on our National Mall is not yet complete.

We especially thank Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran and Vice-Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski for their unwavering support for the NIH.