CBS: As the Senate began a new term Wednesday, there was 100 percent agreement on its first order of business, approving a resolution honoring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who just set a record for longevity.
They call her Senator Barb. At just 4-foot-11, she sometimes gets lost in photos, but on the Senate floor there’s no way to miss her.
…With her victory in 1986, Mikulski became the first female Democrat elected to the Senate in her own right.
…She broke boundaries, and as she entered her fifth term Wednesday, she broke a record. Republican Margaret Chase Smith was the longest serving woman in the Senate at 24 years, but a lot has changed since 1973.
…”Now we’re 17 percent; we’re no longer a novelty,” said Mikulski. “We’re here to stay and there’s more of us to come.”
