On the recordNovember 17, 2015
President Obama has announced to our gratification that our own Senator Barbara Mikulski will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is an inspiring figure. She and I came to the Senate together and we will leave the Senate together. She has been a friend, an ally, and one of the most articulate people I have ever served with. She has a way with words that are just Barbara Mikulski's way of speaking. I so admire her for that and all the other things I mentioned. She has spent decades as a leader in Congress, what will be 30 years in the Senate, and during that period of time she has done social work, which is what she did by profession, and has focused on the poor, the middle class, and the disadvantaged. She has inspired a generation of women and has been a mentor to both sides of the aisle. We are all happy to see this great woman--and she is a great woman-- receive the recognition she so rightly deserves from the President of the United States and a grateful country. We should all congratulate Senator Mikulski on receiving this great honor. ____________________
