Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, the Maryland Democrat who is the longest-serving woman in congressional history, will depart Capitol Hill the way she arrived — with a sharp tongue, an unabashed liberalism and a mission to make the Senate a place where women belong.
Mikulski surprised many colleagues Monday with her announcement that she will leave the Senate next year after five terms. In good health at 78, the senator said she wants to shift her focus: “Do I spend my time raising money? Or do I spend my time raising hell?”