Long-serving US Senator Mikulski to retire

WASHINGTON DC, USA – Trailblazing Senator Barbara Mikulski, the longest-serving woman in US Congress history, announced Monday, March 2, she is retiring after what will be a 40-year career on Capitol Hill.

“I will not be seeking a sixth term in the United States Senate” in 2016, Democrat Mikulski, who in January was forced to give up her powerful post as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee after Republicans won control of the chamber, told a press conference in Baltimore.

Her departure is sure to trigger a Democratic scramble for her seat in Maryland, where the state’s popular former governor Martin O’Malley is openly contemplating a 2016 presidential run.

Reacting to the announcement, President Barack Obama hailed Mikulski as an “institution” in the Senate.

“Her leadership serves as an inspiration to millions of women and girls across the globe to stand up and lead,” he said.

Mikulski, a 78-year-old former social worker, said she thought “long and hard about the next two years,” and that she wanted to focus that period on her constituents, not another campaign.

“Do I spend my time raising money, or do I spend my time raising hell?” she posed.

The self-described Senator Barb stands just 4’11” (1.5 meters) but has achieved towering status in the Senate.

She has been a tenacious fighter for women’s health, blue-collar workers, high-quality education and improved care for America’s veterans.

Mikulski was the first Democratic woman to serve in the Senate in her own right, not succeeding her husband or father.

Today there are 20 female senators in the 100-member chamber. Of the House of Representatives’ 435 seats, 88 are currently held by women. – Rappler.com