Candidate for US Senator, Maryland
Contact Information
Barbara Mikulski
P.O. Box 13147
Baltimore, Maryland 21203
(410) 209-4580
(410) 209-4586 (fax)
info@senatorbarb.comhttp://www.senatorbarb.com
About
A History of Helping Others and Building Communities Growing up in the
Highlandtown neighborhood of East Baltimore, Senator Mikulski learned the values
of hard work, neighbor helping neighbor and heartfelt patriotism. She often saw
her father open the family grocery store early so local steelworkers could buy
lunch before the morning shift. Attending local Catholic school, Mikulski was
inspired by the Christopher social movement. Their motto – "It's better to light
one candle, than to curse the darkness" – became one her guiding principles.
Determined to make a difference in her community, Mikulski became a social
worker. She worked for Catholic Charities and Baltimore's Department of Social
Services, helping at-risk children and educating seniors about the Medicare
program. Social work evolved into community activism when Mikulski heard about
plans to build a 16 lane highway through Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood.
She helped organize communities on both sides of the city and stopped the road,
saving Fells Point and Baltimore's Inner Harbor, both thriving residential and
commercial communities today. Her experiences as a social worker and activist
provided valuable lessons that Mikulski draws on as a United States Senator. She
believes her constituents have a right to know, a right to be heard and a right
to be represented. She listens. She builds coalitions to get things done.
Putting Values Into Action As a United States Senator, Mikulski puts her
values into action to make a difference in people's lives. • She stands up for
America's seniors. Mikulski wrote the landmark Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act
to keep seniors from going bankrupt to pay for a spouse's nursing home care. She
continues to fight for a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. • She is a
leader on women's health. Senator Mikulski fought to have women included in
clinical trials and medical research at the National Institutes of Health. She
doubled NIH's funding for important health research. Mikulski wrote the law
requiring federal standards for mammograms, and she backed legislation to help
uninsured women get screenings and treatment for breast and cervical cancer. •
She fights for our veterans. As the senior Democrat on the Appropriations
Subcommittee that funds the Departments Veterans Affairs, she fights to put more
money in the federal checkbook for veterans healthcare. Senator Mikulski is
standing firm against toll charges on access to health care for America's
veterans. • She builds communities. Senator Mikulski is a leader in the fight
against flipping and predatory lending. After seeing how housing scams were
bankrupting homeowners and destroying communities in Baltimore, Senator Mikulski
worked with the HUD Secretary to set up a National Flipping Taskforce. She
helped change the face of public housing by creating HOPE VI – a program that
replaces high-rise slums with livable communities.
Preparing America for the
Future Mikulski is committed to preparing America for the future. That means
protecting America from terrorism and making investments in science and
technology. • Senator Mikulski works hard to protect America. She supported the
creation of the Department of Homeland Security. She worked with her colleagues
from Maryland and Virginia to make sure there is a National Capital Region
coordinator at the new agency. She is a leader in the fight for more federal
investment in hometown security. • She is champion of our first responders.
Senator Mikulski increased funding for FEMA's fire grant program from $150
million in 2001 to $745 million in 2003. FEMA Fire Grants help local fire
departments buy equipment and protective gear. • Mikulski is an advocate for
space exploration and scientific inquiry. As the senior Democrat on the
Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA, she supports the Hubble Telescope,
Mission to Planet Earth and other science and space programs. • Mikulski
understands that 21st century jobs require 21st century skills. She is fighting
to double funding for the National Science Foundation to expand opportunities
for math and science education. She is fighting to close the digital divide. She
pushed legislation to create Community Technology Centers, giving families in
underserved urban and rural areas access to technology.
Chronology of Public
Service Mikulski's first election was a successful run for Baltimore City
Council in 1971. She served as a councilwoman for five years. In 1976 she ran
for Congress and won, representing Maryland's 3rd district for 10 years. In
1986, Barbara Mikulski ran for the Senate seat vacated by retiring Senator Mack
Mathias. She won the race with 61% of the vote and was re-elected with large
majorities in 1992 and 1998. She is the third highest ranking member of the
Senate Democratic leadership and the dean of the Senate women. Senator Mikulski
has never forgotten her roots. Throughout her career, she has returned home each
night to the city of Baltimore. From community activist to United States
Senator, she has never changed her view that all politics and policy is local
and that her job is to serve the people in their day-to-day needs as well as
prepare this country for the future. Barbara Mikulski is proud to be the Senator
from Maryland and for Maryland.
