Senator Barbara Mikulski told her colleagues that it was time to stop the incivility and partisanship as she gave her farewell address to her colleagues.
Mikulski is leaving Capitol Hill after decades in office including in the House of Representatives and becoming the longest serving woman in congress.
But while she may be leaving her beloved seat in the Senate the Maryland Democrat said she would only be leaving elective office but not public service.
Mikulski recounted her background as the daughter of a grocery store owner and her rise in the ranks first on the Baltimore City Council to her work pulling together the women of the Senate in her famous dinners.
As accomplishments she noted the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that made it easier to sue employers for equal pay and a measure that to keep seniors from going bankrupt when a spouse wound up in a nursing home.
Praise From Her Colleagues
Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md) said, "We are living a part of a legacy we know that. And, we know that some day what we do here in the United States Senate will be recorded in the history of our country. And I know that Senator Mikulski will be mentioned frequently in her incredible accomplishments in the United States Senate."
Senator Susan Collins (R-Me) emphasized the work that Mikulski did in establishing a gathering of the women of the Senate from both parties.
"We like the men in the Senate span the ideological spectrum. Who would expect otherwise. But we have worked together across party lines to serve all Americans. As Senator Mikulski puts it, It's not about gender, it's about the agenda."
And, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca) summed up the qualities that she saw in the Maryland Democrat.
"Some senators have focus and drive. Some have compassion. Some have empathy. Some have sharp negotiating skills. And, some have a quick wit. Some are great students of history. And some are champions for the least among us. Senator Barbara Mikulski, you are all of these things."
She will be succeeded by Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-Md).
And for the first time in decades the Maryland congressional delegation will not have a women in its ranks.
