Political Quotes

“I rise to compliment and congratulate my good friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski, on her decision to retire from the U.S. Senate. We are going to miss her very much. She has been a very effective Senator in speaking not only as a representative for the State of Maryland but also for the entire country on so many different issues and Federal responsibilities of our government. She has been very successful in every way--serving as chair of the committee on Appropriations, where it has been my pleasure to work closely with her as the vice chair when the Republicans were in the minority, and then coming to chair the committee, with her as the ranking Democratic member during other periods. It has been a distinct honor to serve with her on the Appropriations Committee. In 2012, she became the first woman to chair the committee. She has also served as vice chairwoman for the past 2 years. I am pleased that we have been able to work together to report bills that reflect our shared commitment to national security, scientific research, education, and economic development. Senator Mikulski has been a very valuable partner throughout. Her approach to funding decisions as chairwoman and vice-chairwoman highlights the importance of the constitutional role of Congress to be good stewards of taxpayer money.…”