Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Longest-Serving Woman in Congress, Will Retire
LatestSenator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the longest-serving woman in Congressional history, will be retiring at the end of this term. Mikulski, 78, has served in the Senate since 1987, and acted as a Representative for 10 years before that, a total of 38 years in Congress.
Mikulski sponsored several important pieces of legislation during her time in the Senate, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, which helps pay for childcare for low-income families, and, in April of 2014, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would force employers to prove that pay disparities are based on an employee’s qualifications, not their gender. That is, if Senate Republicans wouldn’t quit blocking it. In a fiery speech on the Senate floor last year, Mikulski tore apart the pay gap and her colleagues who refused to do shit-all about it: