barbara mikulski has inspired generations of young women everywhere. she's given them the confidence that they can do it, too. because even as we celebrate this incredible milestone, i know that senator mikulski's greatest hope is that a young girl growing up today will be inspired to follow in her footsteps and one day to break her record. and when that happens, it will be because barbara mikulski, our dean, our cherished leader, our senator for all seasons, opened the doors of the senate wide enough to let the women of america walk in. thank you so much, mr. president. thank you, barbara mutle. -- mikulski. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mrs. hutchison: mr. president, i'm pleased to stand and add my experiences with and admiration for senator barbara mikulski. it is fitting that she is now the longest serving woman in the united states congress. when i first got here, i was elected first in 1993, barbara mikulski as the dean of women in the senate had a workshop the previous year for the newly elected democratic women senators. when i

barbara mikulski has inspired generations of young women everywhere. she's given them the confidence that they can do it, too. because even as we celebrate this incredible milestone, i know that senator mikulski's greatest hope is that a young girl growing up today will be inspired to follow in her footsteps and one day to break her record. and when that happens, it will be because barbara mikulski, our dean, our cherished leader, our senator for all seasons, opened the doors of the senate wide enough to let the women of america walk in. thank you so much, mr. president. thank you, barbara mutle. -- mikulski. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mrs. hutchison: mr. president, i'm pleased to stand and add my experiences with and admiration for senator barbara mikulski. it is fitting that she is now the longest serving woman in the united states congress. when i first got here, i was elected first in 1993, barbara mikulski as the dean of women in the senate had a workshop the previous year for the newly elected democratic women senators. when i

this, barbara mikulski has done, from her early days as a social worker to her years in congress, she has served. she has served long and well. so congratulations, barbara. it's an honor to be your colleague. mr. president, i would just ask that my statement be inserted in the record as if read. thank you. the presiding officer: without objection. is en -- ms. snowe: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. snowe: i couldn't be more pleased in joining all of my colleagues here today in joining my good friend and esteemed colleague, the dean of the women of the united states senate, senator barbara mikulski. in overtaking congressman edith nourse rogers as the longest-serving woman in the history of the united states congress. as someone who has had the privilege of knowing senator mikulski since 1978 when i was first elected to the u.s. house of representatives, to me, this milestone represents a great moment in american politics. for nearly 35 years i have witnessed senator mikulski, a seemingly limitless reservoir of energy as a fierce advocated, a champion

strikingly, barbara mikulski and i had backgrounds that were not -- that were not dissimilar. i came from polish heritage. my father, my grandparents on my paternal side were born in poland, as barbara's family did. and they were immigrants that -- my parents were brought as children from europe and went through the traditional immigrant absorption. my folks found it very hard to make a living as they grew up here, grew up in america. my grandparents were essentially poor people with a kind of blue-collar background and had to resort to storekeeping to keep food on the table, a roof overhead, clothes on their back. and the one thing that threaded through those years for me -- and i heard it coming from barbara mikulski so many times when she spoke, and that was there was always dignity in the house, that there was always a positive outlook. and as i heard it, her parents, like -- or my parents, like hers, were not able to do much with presents and valuables but they did something else, and you see it so fundamentally clear in barbara mikulski's demeanor and her behavior. that w

history. >> barbara mikulski first came here to washington in 1977. now, 35 years later, she has served in congress, longer than any other woman ever. >> reporter: from the start, and throughout her career, she's been a fierce advocate for her state. >> people in maryland are angry. >> reporter: this weekend, barbara mikulski made the history books for the amount of time she spent in congress. >> it's not just that she's the longest-serving female in the history of congress. it's what she's done in office. >> reporter: they helped pay tribute to her today for her many milestones. the first woman to serve in both chambers. the first democratic woman ever elected to the senate in her own right. when she arrived, she was only one of two women in the senate. today she's one of 17. >> and so many of us are here in the senate because barbara mikulski knocked out the barriers, one by one. >> i didn't start out wanting to be a historic figure. >> reporter: many in baltimore remember personal stories. >> i bought this house from her. because she had bought thi

senator barbara mikulski reaching a milestone having served 35 years in the house and the senate. she is now the longest serving female member of congress in history. back in 1988 she talked about politics, gender politics, at the democratic national convention in atlanta. >> every family's got its worries. paying the mortgage. school cost. an aging parent who needs help. some families shoulder more than seems possible. drug addiction. family violence. broken homes. but family life should be more than just coping or making ends meet. more than just pinching pennies and dipping into the nest egg. if there's anything that concerns the american family today, it's this. our government hasn't caught up with the new facts of american family life. families have changed, so why can't washington? new facts. moms working. nearly 65% of all mothers are working. part time, full time, all of the time. keeping the family together. making ends meet. making america more prosperous. working mothers need affordable day care and the pay they deserve. too often they can't get either. over 10 million

well, the highway stops, the neighborhoods were saved and barbara mikulski has been speaking out and organizing for social justice ever sent. [cheers and applause] and congress, barbara brett the issues of day-to-day economics and basic fairness to the front of the national agenda. she also did the spouse so impoverished that protecting the spouse's partner went into a nursing home from poverty or stage towards divorce and of course she let the site for lily let that are for the question of basic fairness, not just some of that, but her check books. and when the senate voted down the lilly ledbetter at the 2007, barbara took to the floor and called on the spirit of abigail adams and said to the women of america, this isn't the end. this is the beginning of the fight. and as you know, that became the first failed sign by our new president. [applause] now as i said, barbara was the first woman ever to serve as a member of the subcommittee. inc. about that. 200 years of american history. not one more policy table three shows with other members like pat schroeder. what did they find? they

marilyn's senior senator barbara mikulski celebrates another milestone -- maryland's senior barbara mikulski. >> the longest serving female member in all of congress. [applause] >> you just heard a fellow baltimore native and house minority leader nancy pelosi speaking as members of congress recognize senator mikulski as the longest serving woman in the history of the united states congress. one by one, they hailed her tenacity and feistiness. she accepted cray's with herb mixture of humor, self depredation -- she accepted her honor with a mixture of humor and self-deprecating and. >> she was democrat -- she was elected to congress in 1976 and won her senate seat in 1986. today is a 12,893rd day in office. today the road to the white house is focused on 485 miles of an oil pipeline president obama wants fast track as part of his energy policy. his plan includes a gas fields in new mexico and nevada solar power plants and oklahoma to take that have blind men to get oil more quickly to refineries. republicans running for the white house say it is not enough. >> apparently, the slipping poll nu

department of labor celebrates a history making woman, senator barbara mikulski of maryland, the longest serving female member in all of congress. >> that was fellow baltimore native and house minority leader nancy pelosi, as she joined members of congress recognizing senator mikulski as the longest serving woman in history of the united states. it has been 12,892 days and counting. she accepted the praise with her signature mix of humor, self deprivation, and appreciation. >> i also want to thank all those people who made it possible. >> she was elected to congress in 1976. she won her senate seat in 1986. >> in annapolis, a bill that would require medical facilities in maryland to report the number of abortions that perform. they do not have to do it right now. the measure was reviewed today by the state finance committee to provide a complete report. the state part of health and mental hygiene was asked to collect demographic information including the age, race, and marital status of patients. but proponents predict opponents say it will further intimidate women who are seeking an abo

senator barbara mikulski served on a panel entitled maryland's women, first and foremost, a topic she is familiar with. it was a first of sorts this weekend as the women of the world held their annual festival for the first time in baltimore. it kicked off roddick the home of the baltimore symphony orchestra. the festival celebrates the leadership and talents from women all over the world. >> we have panels on women in politics, women in law, health, sports, technology. >> this woman, who is the music director of the orchestra at the first woman to hold this position with a major american orchestra, is responsible for bringing the festival to charm city. >> you learn so much. >> who better to serve as the featured guest speaker but a political trailblazer who is also celebrating a first this month. >> i am the first democratic woman ever elected to the senate. >> on march 17, barbara mikulski will be the longest serving woman in history of the u.s. congress. greg vice? when you are the first, you don't want to be the last. >> you want to make sure that you are a mentor and teacher to

eps a considering delaying new clean energy standings and make history, maryland senator barbara mikulski has something to brag about this morning. find out what she is proud of coming up next. >>> job seekers are encouraged to attend a job fair today at the four points by sheraton hotel near bwi airport from 11 until 2 this afternoon. dozens of employers are going to be object hand -- on hand like the curet service and next day blinds. >>> and in los angeles, a motion to dismiss hearings for the so-called hollywood ripper. attorneys for michael thomas is link to the murders of 9 women had file a motion to dismiss. >>> and today a status conference in harrisburg for srnlg rain failing to report case of tim curley and gary schultz former penn state senior vice-president in connection to the molestation case of jerry sandusky. >>> apple will announce what it will do with the cash reserves in a news conference. at the end of 2011 apple said nearly 100 billion dollars in cash. >>> the documentary called bully will be released today. last night president obama lended his voice to the cause. [a

barbara mikulski was honored for being the longest serving woman in the history of congress and karen guy houston has more. >> reporter: senator mikulski served more than 35 years. she's a democrat, 75, popular, and she's feisty. you can tell she commands the respect of her colleagues. the u.s. senate paused at 2:30 this afternoon to honor and give praise to a woman who, last year, became the longest serving female in the senate. on march 17th, she passed the late congresswoman,idith north rogers, a massachusetts republican, to become the longest serving woman in congress ever mikulski was blazed for being a trailblazer and for building the 16-lane highway. >> the highway would have -- which was a neighborhood doing something that she felt should be protected and it would have uprooted home owners in a majority of african-american neighborhoods. >> she's a true leader and understands the importance of working together, and she's a winner. >> for me, it's not how long i served or about history, for me, history books were jane adams and abigail adams and powdered wigs. i walk a day wher

. >>> the maryland senator barbara mikulski recognized this weekend for being the longest serving female in congress was honored by her colleagues on the senate floor yesterday. she says she's still the same person. >> i still am that young girl that walked to the grocery store everyday and said good morning, can i help you. >> barbara mikulski represented maryland for 35 years. senators delivered speeches in her honor and in tanned tanneddans, her family and o'malley. she received a standing ovation at the end of her speech. >>> in celebration of maryland. a legendary man known for a bathing suit and rubber ducky. >> maryland celebrates the life of william schaefer. >> and all this flooding still taking place. are things going to dry up? plus local traffic and weather. in two minutes. as we go to break a live look from atop the statue of liberty in new york. a problem in maryland and in new york. >>> welcome back it doesn't look much like spring in eighteentheen, oregon -- eugene, oregon. it created a mess for drivers with the snow. it brought down power lines but kids enjoyed the day.

this from senator barbara mikulski. >> this is an amendment to the highway bill in which we could if we passed the highway bill we could create thousands of jobs in construction and get america rolling. instead we have to deal with the blunt amendment which again is an attempt to derail the ability for the american people to get the health care services that's deemed essential by their doctor. the blunt amendment is a significant overreach in terms of a new power to employers to deny health care. now, make no mistake. this is politics masquerading as morality. politics masquerading as morality. what does the blunt amendment do? it allows any health insurance company or any employer to deny coverage for any service they choose based on religious beliefs or moral convictions. what's a moral conviction? where does a moral conviction come from? i have moral convictions. you have moral convictions. we have different moral convictions. and let me repeat. any employer can do this. any insurer can do it based on a vague abstraction called moral con conviction. what would this mean? yes. does

. >> reporter: senator barbara mikulski says for women congress was a different world when she arrivedrs ago. >> when i came to the house, and even to the senate, women were still considered a novelty. we were greeted with skepticism. >> reporter: even so, she says she never felt intimidated and at 4' 11", she has never backed off from a fight. >> i challenge them right here, right now, today othis amendment! what an insulting, humiliating thing to say. you were abused by your husband. them you were abused by your insurance company. >> reporter: what makes you proudest about your tenure in the house and in the senate? >> what makes me proudest is the fact that the way i've tried to stand up for people. >> reporter: she says she learned how to do that growing up in east baltimore, where her farther owned a small store. >> every day my father would open the store and say, "good morning, can i help you?" we saw ourselves as part of a community that everybody in that neighborhood was part of our family. >> reporter: in her office are she keeps a reminder, the dining room table from her chi

. >> one of the national women's organizations is honoring barbara mikulski. lenn 11 news reporter nadia ram december -- ramdes was there. >> it held its annual festival for the first time in baltimore. it kicked off celebrating the leadership and talent of women from all over the world. >> we have panels on women in politics, women in law, women in health, women in sports, women in technology. >> so that was the first time ti remember. >> the first woman to hold this position with a major american author responsible for bringing the festival to charm city. >> you can learn so much just from meeting some of the incredible people in our area. >> who better to seb but a political trailblazer who is also sell prating a first this month. >> i am the first woman, democratic woman ever elected to the senate. >> on march 17, barbara mikulski will be the longest serving woman in the history of the united states congress. her advice, when you are the first, you don't want to be the last. >> you want to encourage where you have made it to make sure you are amen tore and

senator barbara mikulski, she is now the longest serving woman in the history of congress. the 75-year-old mikulski was' electricitied to the u.s. house of representatives in 1976 and the u.s. senate ten years later. she will be honored on the mall. >>> get ready for more people in. get ready for the opening of the casino. construction is well underway for the maryland live casino at arundel mills mall. it will be the third gaming parlor to open and it will be by far the largest. >> we are at 300,000 scare foot facility with 4750 electronic slot machines and electronic table games. if you put that in perspective, on the vegas strip, not one casino of that size. in atlantic city, not one casino of that size >> when this casino fully opens, at least 1500 people will be employed here. >> jobs are starting to post every day. please go online, apply for as many jobs as you feel you would like to and that will get the system rolling for you. >> executive chef rudy volpie will need many chefs. >> there will be an asian station, an italian station, what we call an american station.

. >> a big milestone for maryland senator barbara mikulski. u.s. senator barbara mikulski. she will be honored on the senate floor after serving more than 35 years in the house and senate. >> humility and stability >> . she won a house seat in 2000. she was reelected with big majorities in 1992, 2004, and 2010. >> ben bernanke is taking a new job of sorts. he will take a few glasses at george washington university starting tomorrow. he will take every step of dark glasses on the federal reserve and its role in today's economy. it's part of a course effort for undergraduates at the university school of business. >> it is game on if you plan to visit the smithsonian pose a new exhibit, "the arts of videogames." it chronicles the 40-year history of video games. the public helped to decide which came to feature. 241 were on an initial list, but only eight of them made the cut. the exhibit will run through september 30. >> the old original nintendo is what i used to have back in the day. >> and an atari system from the late 1970's or early 1980's. >> i remember those. ready to g

. >> barbara mikulski will be today for making history. she will be recognized for the women in theng history of congress. served more than 35 years in senate.e and the democrat was elected to the in 1976. shoes and the senate in 1986. >> police are investigating an armed robbery. night in theast block of maryland. two armed man and demanded cash and then left. was injured. police are looking. >> regulators will hold a hearing on plans to open a bar near a northwest school. they want to stop the tavern open at seventh and t streets. it allows it to operate there. they won the support of y leaders by agreeing before 5:00liquor p.m.. important dues for veterans looking for work. a job there will be held today. still be going on all day. underemployed are over employed o work. able t >> get ready for some more of junk mail. eclipsedyou as soon when it comes to production? here is linda bell. america innorth middlen to replace the source ofe largest new deals. they said the only thing n the re our politics environmentalists getting the upper h

the united states senate will honor maryland's on barbara mikulski for making history. the senior senator is the longest serving woman in the history of congress, serving 35 years on the hill, elected to the house back in 1976 and then the senate a decade later. >> the man accused of killing a transgender woman at a northeast d.c. bus stop heads to court today. for a mental observation hearing. the stabbing took place on january 22 and the victim died at the hospital. fairfax county police are looking for a man who attacked a student as she was walking home from woodson high school monday afternoon. the 15-year-old girl was walking along pettitte road when a man grabbed her neck from behind assaulted her. the struggle and she was knocked to the ground and he ran away. >> the temperature in d.c. is 58 degrees. >> and still to come -- more outrage over the death of an unarmed florida teenager. we'll show you how supporters are supporting this nationwide. >> peyton manning made it official and a mile high city. what he says about stealing tim tebow's starting job. >> the c

senator barbara mikulski will be the longest serving woman in the history of the united states congress. her advice, when you are the first, you don't want to be the last. >> you want to make sure that you are a mentor and a teacher to make sure you encourage others to come behind you. >> the time now is 9:08. 42 degrees on tv hill. the better business bureau is here to kick off national consumer protection week. they have information we should all know. >> did you see jewelery on the oscar red carpets that you are dying to have? there is good news. we found some of the hottest trends. coming up. >> showers leaving the east coast. a new storm is on the way. it could bring snow back to the mid-atlantic. i'll show you where when we come back in the forecast.ec >> good morning. that powerful storm that brought all the deadly severe weather to the plains themselves moving off shore. you can see on doppler all the way from ocean city down to the eastern part of north carolina as well. there is light rain. hardly any of this reaching the ground and it is exiting out toward the east. you can s

he sent letters to john boehner and barbara mikulski. >> d.c. council will hold a bill residents to report cases of child sex abuse. they will have to report it to police, 911 or job and family services. penalties could be for the chair to cases.such >> we're going to turn to the 2012 campaign. today will be another pivotal day. alabama and mississippi will hold primaries. republicans and hawaii and samoa will hold their caucuses. hopes to make a two-man race. it is a sane at college campuses across the country that never gets old. a lot of excitement. georgetown university. learned that they're going determine it appeared they in the midwestd bracket. is the number one reason. kansas is number two. >> better hope they don't play georgetown. allen joins us live from new with a book from ahead. >> good morning. stock futures are porting to some declines. journal is sank filed in court sometime today. r on, we will hear more stress test results. talk oil prices. this is an issue not only for candidates but drivers as well. aaa is saying the price

. >> reporter: senator barbara mikulski is a trailblazer. they are not only celebrating her achievements, they are thanking her. >> reporter: for more than 35 years, u.s. senator barbara mikulski has represented maryland on capitol hill, and on saturday she reached a milestone. she's now the longest-serving woman in the history of congress. >> when she went to the senate in 1986, there was only one other woman, a republican. now there are 17 female senators who have forged a bond of crossed arty lines. >> when the day is over, you have to keep that and put our lipstick on and have a glass of wine and keep the institution and america going. >> so it's fitting one of her passions is the battle for women's health. she requires federal standards for mammograms and five were uninsured women's screenings for breast and cervical cancers. >> she started here in east baltimore where she grew up. she got a job as a social worker and educating seniors about medicare. >> i think she's been an asset to the country into baltimore, and i am glad to know he

many colleagues said, if you expect her to slow down now you do not know barbara mikulski. >> that isdo not want our whether to slow down either. >> we made it to 70 degrees for the 10th time this month of march. i know your heating bill, you like that? the outside we have some great pictures coming in. if you want to submit your picture to our cherry blossom carter contest you can right here on our web site wjla.com. you can learn a lot more about the terror blossoms. the high-temperature today was actually 70 degrees way above average again. not anywhere near the record. right now 69 and caribou, maine. earlier today was 75 degrees warmer than that was in washington. the all-time record for caribou. look at chicago. a gannett was 85 degrees. that is the seventh 80 degree day in chicago and the eighth record of all things. the warmth goes on to the west. it has been an incredible month. there is the jet stream diving to the south. that will direct our way. by sunday it will be close to us. the result will be an end to all the warm weather we have had. there you can see that span. okl

. >>> maryland senior senator barbara mikulski makes history. derek valcourt reports from washington, d.c. mikulski is now the longest- serving woman senator in history. >> >>> now, 35 years later, she has served in congress, longer than any other woman ever. >> reporter: from the start and throughout her career, she's been a fierce advocate for her state. >> reporter: people in maryland are angry. >> reporter: this weekend, they made history books for the amount of time she spent in congress. >> it's not just that she's the longest-serving female in the history of the united states in congress. it's what she's done in office. >> the first woman to serve in both chambers. the foot first democratic woman elected in her own right. when she she arrived, she was only one of two women in the senate. today, she's one of 17. >> so many of us are here in the senate because barbara mikulski knocked down the barriers, one by one. >> i didn't start out wanting to be an historic figure. >> reporter: many in baltimore remember personal stories. >> i bought t

christopher said notes with powder to house speaker boehner and barbara mikulski. vancouver,in arrestton saw the unfold. >> they told me to stay inside. next thing i heard, the kicked in.got he didn't talk to anybody. he said hi and that was about it. r found to be harmless. >> the republicans gear up for potentially game changing contests. victories in the ones wald rick santorum in kansas.tory >> rick santorum took the lion's share of the 33 out of the 40 kansas.s in >> we had a very good day in our neighboring state of kansas. >> the former pennsylvania stand a chancet of surpassing that romney. front brother took a patting his lead with 18 delegates overnight from guam and the marian islands. next pivotal contests are on tuesday. alabama and mississippi primaries. either state could his electability faster. newt gingrich said that the is his path to victory. tuesday could be his last stand. he is short on money and g calls to drop out of the race. >> if we can win alabama and mississippi on tuesday night, we n reset the campaign. only ron paul has a clear to th

barbara mikulski made history today. longest serving ofen in the history congress. on thel be honored floor on wednesday. she has served more than 35 in the house of representatives as well as the senate. it was a sight to behold at the white house today. the first family mart st. the south lawn. the fountain bubbled green water. the first time the fountain was turned green for st. patrick's in 2009 at the request of michelle obama. she was inspired by what folks chicago do. is what they do in chicago. they turn the river green. tradition dates back more than 50 years. workers were out early this adding the green dye to the river. every year, thousands of people lined this waterfront to enjoy same patrick's day festivities and that includes parade. used to live in chicago. remember bundling up quite a paddy's day. but today? >> today, they were well into lower-80's for daytime highs. for the middle of march. milder temperatures will continue at least for the time being. outside right now, we have in the 60's. 50's off to the west. is 56erage for this date degrees. m

a historic moment for maryland senator barbara mikulski. >> the honor she's about to receive for here. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend. move money with a slide. save with a shake. feel good about your decisions. >>> a very bizarre story to report out of iraq this morning. an american citizen who appears to be a missing contractor is free more than nine months after he says he was taken hostage by shiite militia. the man hasn't identified himself, but iraqi lawmakers claim he is randy michael holtz. he says he was kidnapped inside baghdad by a branch of the mahdi army, controlled by the anti-american cleric muqtada al sadr. he says he was released as a gift to his family and to the american people who oppose the war. we're working to bring you more details about this story and we'll have those available in a few minutes. stay with us for that. >>> wikileaks founder julian assange could soon be an australian senator. wikileaks tweeted that the 40-year-old plans to run for the elected office next year, d

maryland senator barbara mikulski will make history tonight as the recipient of a special board. she is the first non-african american received the harriet t ubman lifetime achievement award. she played a key role in securing nearly $1 million in federal funds for the establishment of the harriet tubman the underground railroad historical park in dorchester county. the legislation she supported also is that this is a historical park in auburn, new york. seven people shot, one person killed, and the question now is who is the dunman -- gunman. we track the latest from pittsburgh. "fashion star" premieres at progressive, you can bundle your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com. >> a psychiatric clinic is back open today with extra security after the deadly shooting yesterday. it happened at the university of pittsburgh. a man had two pistols and shot seven people. when it died. campus police shot and killed a suspected gunman. they still know who he is because he was not carrying id and his fingerp

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senator barbara mikulski continued well into the night in washington as they honored mikulski all day yesterday for her service in congress. >> i also want to thank all of those people who made it possible. you don't get to be a me without a whole lot of we. >> wednesday, both the house and senate honored the 76-year-old senator for her accomplishments as the longest serving woman in the history of the entire u.s. congress. last night, celebrations cross the party lines to champion a woman who defined the word public servant. >> barbara mikulski is a model for every legislator. there's a reason why she's been in office this long. she takes care of her constituents. her office is always very receptive to any needs they have, without regard, whether republican, democrat, no matter which side of the aisle you're on. if her people need her, she's there. >> i wanted to have the privilege of standing with you so that i'm able to tell -- and i mean it sincerely -- tell my four granddaughters that i was there to celebrate a woman who has changed in many ways the way people think about one ano

senator barbara mikulski the maryland, the longest serving female member in all of congress. >> fellow baltimore native and house minority leader nancy pelosi helped recognize senator mikulski as the longest serving woman in the history of the united states congress. mikulski accepted the praise with her signature mix of humor, self-deprecation, and appreciation. >> i also want to thank all of those people who made it possible. you don't get to be a me without a whole lot of we. >> the 75-year-old mikulski, a democrat, was elected to congress back in 1976, and she won her senate seat in 1986. republican presidential candidate mitt romney makes a campaign stop here in maryland. the former massachusetts governor was at a town hall meeting wednesday. next month, romney and the other g.o.p. contenders will compete for 37 maryland delegates in their bid to win the republican nomination. romney focused his speech on the debt, unemployment, and president obama's economic promises. >> this president promised to cut the deficit in half. he's doubled it. he told us he'd get us back to work and h

maryland senator barbara mikulski was one of the lawmakers who received a letter. those letters are not connected, though, with those that arrived at d.c. schools and restaurants last week. >>> as for those, federal investigators are hoping for no more letters after two more were discovered on saturday. authorities shut down the blt steak restaurant on i street northwest. a restaurant employee opened a letter that had an unknown white powder inside that turned out to be harmless. the other letter was not opened. the fbi is trying to figure out if these letters are connected to others received in the district over the past year. >>> the archdiocese of washington has suspended the catholic priest who denied communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral. the archdiocese placed father marcell guarnizo on leave for intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others. he serve at st. john newman catholic in gaithersburg. the archdiocese says the suspension is not related to the communion incident last month. barbara johnson said the priest denied her communion because

. >>> maryland senator barbara mikulski will be honored this week for passing a major milestone.hen i get terrible congestion from my allergies, i power through with the power of claritin-d. when my sinus pressure is at its worst, i've got the best decongestant... claritin-d. when it all hits, nasal congestion and sinus pressure, all i need is non-drowsy claritin-d. nothing relieves allergy congestion faster. get claritin-d at the pharmacy counter. live claritin clear. >>> welcome back. 5:37. outside on the weather terrace, no jackets required. we're in the mid-50s, a comfortable morning with light winds. the birds singing a happy song this monday morning. you'll be singing a happy song when you see the day planner. clouds around early. isolated showers this afternoon with a mix of clouds and sunshine. 65 by noon with highs once again well above average, in the mid-70s. average high is 57. i'll be back with the seven-day forecast. right now inside to monika with a look at time saver traffic. >>> no big issues to report right now in maryland thankfully. we're looking great on 270

senator barbara mikulski. later this afternoon, she will be rid recognized on state senate floor as the longest serving woman in the history of the congress. she is in her fifth term and become the longest serving woman in u.s. senate history when she was sworn in. this saturday, she will surpass rep. norsk rogers. she was first elected to congress back in 1976. ♪ we all know gas prices are on the rise but your wallet could get pinched harder if governor martin o'malley gets his way. he will testify before house and senate committees is evident on his plan to apply the 6% sales tax to gasoline in maryland. price as of $4 per gallon in most parts of the states and more commuters are choosing public transportation. the mta said a close to 10% increase across the board since january of last year. >> it is a lot more affordable for many people to get on the public transit system than to try to get on the roads. >> the average marylander pays $3.82 per gallon of regular gas which is 11 cents more than just last wee

. >>> in washington, senator barbara mikulski will be recognized on the senate floor as the longest serving woman in the history of the u.s. congress. serving since she was elected to the house in 1976, she has been in office for over 36 years. >>> and finally rosie o'donnell turns 50 years old today. happy birthday. >>> all day long you can keep up with the latest developments on those stories and others as they break on msnbc. tonight watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." everyone finally what's coming up late other on the "today" show. a 3-year-old girl born with a rare life-threatening condition who has a new lease on life thanks to a special dog. >>> update on gwyneth paltrow. she's firing back on critics who say she didn't write her cookbook. keep it on the channel for continuing news. i'm veronica de la cruz. thank you very much for watching "early today." your first stop of the day. have a terrific one. see you back here tomorrow.

. >> and she may be short in stature, but maryland's barbara mikulski has a record of public service that dwarfs her colleagues. >> we're previewing the beer, bourbon, and barbecue festival happening this weekend at the timonium fairgrounds. we're so excited, we roasted a whole hog. >> and the problems on the harris bug expressway already causing delays. we have a tractor-trailer fire and some lanes closed. ♪ [ camera shutters clicking ] ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] announcing southwest airlines nationwide sale, with flights all over the country starting at only 69 dollars one-way. hurry and book now, only at southwest.com. ♪ >> welcome back to 11 news today. the time now is 6 chop 11, 60 degrees outside today. it's going to be another nice day today. many of you who watch our evening news at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. noticed that our colleague, donna hamilton, has been on vacation this week. >> no trip to the ocean for her. she's actually half a world away in uganda. donna joins us live this morning via skype to tell us more about it. good morning, or should i say good afternoon. hi, donna. >>

for a woman who is now the longest serving woman in congressional history, maryland senator barbara mikulski, first elected to the house in 1976, one of 21 women in congress back then. today, the veteran democrat is among 91 women in congress. >>> there were some familiar faces at the new york stock exchange this morning, members of the cast of "mad men" along with their executives rang the opening bell. the series resumes after a 17-month hiatus on sunday night. for the true "mad men" addicts, even just the curious, we have a preview tonight, including an interview with the creator and a rare look around the prop department for our cameras tonight on rock center at 10:00, 9:00 central right here on this station. >>> up next tonight, the town dealing with the mystery noise. >>> finally tonight, a story about a nice place they're calling a boomtown, jokingly. the problem is it's not funny. the good people in one town in wisconsin would right now give anything to find out what is making that noise. their story tonight from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: in whats youed to be sleepy clintonvi

meanwhile = ryan and his trips senate she has been there longer than any other woman barbara mikulski is recognized on the senate floor today as the longest serving woman in history the u.s. government. >>> chip reed brings us to senators taylor and her words. >>> i must say senator barbara m. says that for women congress was a different world when she arrived more than 35 years ago. when i came to the house and to the senate's women were still considered a novelty. we are greeted with skepticism. even so she never felt intimidated unit 4 ft. 11 in. tall ships never backed off from a fight. on this amendment. >>> what insulting, humiliating thing to say. >>> what makes you proudest about your tenure in the house? >>> would make the promises that the way they try to stand up for people. the way to learn how to do that growing up in the east baltimore. where her father on a small store. >>> my father would open the state store and say good morning can help you we saw ourselves as part of the community that everybody in that neighborhood was a part of. >>> interoffice she keeps a reminde

barbara mikulski is about to become the longest serving female member in all of congress both house andate. who currently holds that title? who is she about to surpass? the first correct answer will get a follow thursday. [ shapiro ] at legalzoom, you can take care of virtually all your important legal matters in just minutes. now it's quicker and easier for you to start your business... protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com, we put the law on your side. not in this economy. we also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. introducing gold choice. the freedom you can only get from hertz to keep the car you reserved or simply choose another. and it's free. ya know, for whoever you are that day

. >>> congratulations are in order for maryland senator barbara mikulski. over the weekend she became the longest serving woman in the history of congress. between her time in the house and the senate, the 75-year-old democrat has served more than 35 years on the hill. the senate will be honoring her accomplishment coming up on wednesday. >>> thanks to our warm temperatures, the cherry blossoms have already reached their peak and visitors and locals are scrambling to enjoy the sight before mother nature gets the best of the blossoms. delia goncalves stopped by the tidal basin earlier today. >> reporter: it doesn't get prettier than this. >> it's unbelievable. every time it's even better. it gets more and more magnificent. i love it. >> reporter: pat from st. louis taking in the cherry blossoms in full bloom, a sure sign of spring in d.c. and the sights are picture perfect. whether the blossoms are the star of the show or a background, cherry blossoms are sure to please any photographer. >> i hold the camera and every year i come here for the cherry blossoms

maryland senator barbara mikulski makes history today.officially the longest serving woman in congressional congressional history. the maryland democratic is in her fifth term. she surpasses edith rogers as the longest-serving woman in congress. she was first elected to congress back in 1976. >> the governor's brother is leaving baltimore city hall. stephanie rawlings-blake announced peter o'malley will be stepping down as chief of staff to join a baltimore law firm. it anoused it will practice the firm's government relations practice. o'malley joined the mayor's office last may. a search is underway for his replacement. >> a final good-bye to christopher lyles. friends and family gathered at morgan state university for a public memorial service. lyles died after undergoing an experimental cancer surgery in sweden. go to wbaltv.com to see how you can help christopher's family cover expenses. >> a happy homecoming for dozens of maryland soldiers. troops from the first batallion returned home. >> it's been a while. it has been over a year.

today senator barbara mikulski became the longest serving woman in congress. 12,858 days. in her 35 years in the house and the senate, she became known for a number of firsts including first woman to serve in a leadership role in the senate. first female democrat to serve in both houses. and as the newspaper roll call points out one of the first women to wear pants on the senate floor. >>> overseas, another deadly day in syria where two bombs exploded at government buildings in damascus. nbc's ayman mohyeldin has been following the story from cairo. >> reporter: good evening. twin explosions rocked the syrian damascus saturday morning. more than 20 people were killed and a hundred wounded in the explosions that happened minutes apart. amateur footage filmed by bystanders show the scenes of chaos. the syrian government put the blame on foreign terrorists working to destabilize and divide the country. and they're blaming neighboring countries of arming the opposition groups working to overthrow the president bashar al assad. arming the opposition has been a position that som

speaking of congress, this past saturday senator barbara mikulski became the longest serving woman in congressional history first elected in 1976, moving across the capital to the senate 10 years later in 1986. >> in march 1979, c-span began televising the u.s. house of representatives to households nation wide. and today, our content of politics and public affairs, nonfiction books and american shift available on tv, radio and online. >> we have even had advice that we do not do as i did today and come in with a plain old white shirt and a summer tie, heaven forbid. now, i don't know whether my colleagues feel that this would be a better decorum for the senate. i see the distinguished senator stafford here nodding no. but perhaps the people of ohio would be glad to make a judgment on what they want to see me attired in here in the united states senate. so, mr. president, these are just a few of our concerns here in the senate that i'm sure that none of us will do a thing differently in the senate of the united states, now that we're on television. thank you. >> c p span, created by a

barbara mikulski joined the senate in 1986 when there was one over woman who was a republican. a bond was find cross party lines and now there are 17 female senators. senator mikulski is the longest serving woman. and she talked about what that longevity means. >> when the day is over, let's kick back and put our lipstick on and have a glass of wine and keep the institution and america going. >> the dean of the senate said she learn from the good old boys network to work better professional will be ayou have to get to know -- professionally and you've got to get to know each other personally. >>> we have details about a job fair if you are looking for workheld at four points by sheraton hotel near bwi airport from 11 a.m. to 2. meet with dozens of employees, many of whom are looking to hire people today. they will have companies therefrom places like the secret service, stewart enterprises and next day blinds and they will have a career expert to look over your resume. >>> and the nation's high court is going to be busy next week. the supreme court is going to hear arguments on

. >>> maryland senator barbara mick -- barbara mikulski is now the longer serving female in congress. she joined more than 5 years ago. she was elected to the senate in 1986. at that time there was only one other female senator. today there are 17. on wednesday her colleagues will honor her on the senate floor. >>> the time is 4:36. at 4:40, the parent company of a discount airline files for chapter 11. >>> is d.c. turning into a city of bicyclists? monika will take a look at how the trend is growing. she's doing that at 4:48. >>> we're back in two minutes with your weather first. you're watching 9news now. >>> 4:38 on this monday morning. we've got some clouds out there. just some patchy fog, not as widespread as yesterday morning. by the mimedz of the day we should -- middle ever the day we should get into at least partly cloudy skies. temperatures warming up to mid- to upper 60s by lunch time. this afternoon can't rule out an isolated thunderstorm. highs will be well above average into the 70s. >>> let's check in with monika. >> if you're planning to head on the inner loop of the b

senator barbara mikulski for being the longest serving woman ever in congress. was first elected to the house of representatives in 1975, the senate in 1986. the 75-year-old broke the record for the longest serving woman in congress last weekend when she bypassed he death rogers of massachusetts kudos to her. >>> we hit 70 today despite the clouds. we have more fog developing. here's your wake up weather. temperatures mild though still in the 50s at ash and 7:00. we'll talk about warmer air and increased chance of thunderstorms. >>> still ahead 9 wants to know how americans were duped into buying fake cancer drugs. now we get answers from the man responsible. >>> plus in tonight's let's be real accountability. jayvaughn martin is as many. >>> tonight there is outrage to go along with the grief in the case of tray von martin that unarmed 17-year-old boy shot in florida by a neighborhood watch captain who claims self- defense. as the protest and vigils ratchet up across the nation they are only looking for one thing. >> that one thing is accountability. see a 17 y

. >>> a landmark achievement for barbara mikulski is now the longest serving female in congress.en she came to the senate in 1986, there was only one other woman republican nance and they formed a bond across county lines and currently there are 17 female senators. mikulski hosts a dinner for all women senators every quarter. >> when the day is over, let's kick back and put our lipstick on and have a glass of wine and keep the institution and america going. >> she is scheduled to be honored on the senate floor on wednesday after serving more than 35 years in the house of representatives and senate. >>> for three years we have been bringing you the latest in scams that targeted our area. this morning, we will update you on the tools you can use to avoid scam artist through the mail on the phone on orline. >> and new rules public pools have to follow and the phenes they face if ignored. and storm chasers caught tornadoes churning in a oklahoma town. but this is not over. we are tracking it for you. >> well, we are mainly dry but foggy this morning. and spring officially arrives tom