On the recordJanuary 5, 2011
I rise today to add my voice to those of my colleagues as we commemorate an extraordinary milestone for a remarkable woman. Today, Senator Barbara Mikulski becomes the longest serving woman Senator. For anyone who has had the privilege of working with or for Senator Mikulski, this milestone comes as no surprise. She is a devoted public servant and a dogged advocate for her constituents. She has spent the vast majority of her life in public service as a social worker, as a member of the Baltimore City Council, then as a Member of the House of Representatives, and finally as a Senator. With each step, her constituency got larger and she worked even harder to fight for the people of Maryland. Senator Mikulski is no stranger to celebrating firsts or milestones. She was the first Democratic woman to be elected to the Senate in her own right without succeeding a spouse or a father. She was also the first woman to serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee. It is also worth reflecting on how far we have come in the 24 years since Senator Mikulski was first elected. She was one of only two women in the Senate in 1987. In the next Senate, as in the last Senate, we are now up to 17 female Senators, meaning that they can no longer call us 'Sweet 16.' As the dean of women Senators, Senator Mikulski has always been ready to help women who are thinking about running for the Senate and then help newly arrived women Senators when they get here.
