Maryland's 'Sen. Barb' and veteran Sen. Boxer bid farewell

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maryland Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a 40-year veteran of Congress and a tough-as-nails advocate for Maryland, the poor and women's rights, said farewell to the Senate on Wednesday, recalling her roots as a Baltimore community activist and her work for "for jobs and justice."

[...] she is perhaps most recognized inside the Senate for her role as a mentor and ally to the body's growing ranks of women, offering counseling and hosting bipartisan private dinners of the chamber's women.

Mikulski also has a skill for deal-making honed by her service on the Appropriations Committee, where senators of all philosophies have long dropped ideology in their drive to enact annual spending bills.