Retiring Sen. Mikulski Gives Speech Summarizing Service

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski gave a speech summarizing her service on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon.

Our media partner, The Baltimore Sun, reports the Maryland Democrat called for a return to civility in politics and vowed to continue serving Maryland as a private citizen.

Mikulski is the longest-serving member of Congress in Maryland's history and the longest-serving woman in congressional history.

She reflected on a career in office that has spanned more than four decades.  The Sun also reporting that Mikulski noted in her speech her work on health care, science and pay equity as among her most significant achievements and her efforts to expand the number and influence of female lawmakers.

Mikulski, who is 80, is retiring after 30 years in the Senate. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 and has served in the Senate since 1987.

"It is time for me to say goodbye to elected office, but not to service," said Mikulski, who will be officially retiring when a new Congress is sworn in next month. "For me, no issue was too small to take up and no cause was too big for me to take on," she said.

She announced her decision last year not to seek a sixth Senate term.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, won the seat opening after her retirement next month.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)