Mikulski Talks Social Work Roots, D.C. Politics
Barbara Mikulski, MSW 鈥�65, was a social worker before launching her legendary and pioneering 45-year political career, but she doesn鈥檛 consider it a former job.
鈥淧eople always say that I was once a social worker, but I say this: If you are a social worker, there鈥檚 never a 鈥榦nce,鈥欌�� said Mikulski, drawing applause as the featured guest in the 网红爆料, Baltimore (UMB) President鈥檚 Panel on Politics and Policy on Nov. 27 at the SMC Campus Center. 鈥淵ou are a social worker forever in whatever you do and whatever you become. And I think going into politics is social work with power.鈥�
Former Sen. Barbara Mikulski talks issues and advocacy at the President's Panel on Politics and Policy
A proud graduate of the , Mikulski talked about those social work roots, community organizing, civility in Washington, presidential politics, the 2020 census, and more in her conversation with UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD. She also took questions from the crowd of 220-plus that filled the Elm Ballrooms for the seventh installment of the panel series, which was launched in January 2017 to examine issues important to the University community that are likely to be affected by the Trump administration and Congress. (Read about past speakers here, and see a photo gallery of the Mikulski event .)
In his introduction, Perman described Mikulski as his friend and advisor and detailed her trailblazing work as a champion for women, higher education, seniors, and the disadvantaged as the longest-serving woman ever in the U.S. Senate. He pointed out that when Mikulski was asked why she wasn鈥檛 seeking a sixth term in 2016, she said, 鈥淲ell, do I spend my time raising money, or do I spend my time raising hell?鈥�
鈥淵ou know which one she chose,鈥� Perman said with a smile.
Indeed, during the hourlong event, Mikulski showed the mix of feisty and folksy that made her a Maryland political legend and a 30-year force in the Senate, stressing that interpersonal relationships and unconventional thinking often are the keys to getting things accomplished. Now a professor of public policy at Johns Hopkins University, Mikulski began by recounting her shift from social worker to community organizer, rallying opposition to a federal highway construction project in Baltimore 50 years ago.
鈥淚 said, 鈥楲ook, we need to fight this,鈥欌�� Mikulski said. 鈥淪o we got people in the community together at a bar, had a few shots of ouzo, and said we have to give ourselves a militant name and create the illusion of power. So we came out with SCAR, the Southeast Council Against the Road, and I began the highway fight that took me into politics.鈥�
In her next stop, early during her tenure on the Baltimore City Council that began in 1971, Mikulski said she asked the body鈥檚 president to go outside the committee structure to create a rape task force, aiming to treat women who had been assaulted as trauma victims rather than merely crime victims. Counting the task force as among her proudest achievements, Mikulski said of her approach, 鈥淎lways go outside the box, because otherwise you leave yourself in a box forever.鈥�
This type of thinking was present during her time in the House of Representatives (1976-1986) and in the Senate (1986-2017), she said, particularly in regard to bipartisanship. Mikulski, a Democrat, recalled that in the early 1990s a newly elected Republican senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison, reached out to her for a meeting and, despite her staff鈥檚 misgivings, she obliged. This led to a friendship with Hutchison and regular meetings among female senators from both political aisles, she said.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 agree on a lot of issues,鈥� Mikulski said. 鈥淏ut we agreed on two things first: We would approach each other in a zone of civility and we would never demonize each other. We would always interact with integrity, a sense of honor, and intellectual rigor.鈥�
Mikulski said that areas of agreement included promoting women鈥檚 economic empowerment and especially women鈥檚 health, and that the senators from opposing parties could find common ground on issues such as mammogram quality standards and breast cancer research funding.
鈥淲e all agreed if we were going to 鈥楻ace for the Cure,鈥� we wanted to lead the marathon, so that was another proud accomplishment,鈥� Mikulski said.
Searching for Common Ground
Staying on the topic of political relations, Perman asked about the state of affairs in Washington today and whether the partisan divide could ever be bridged. 鈥淗ow do these two parties at odds on absolutely everything find some common ground?鈥� he said.
While lamenting the vitriol and gridlock, Mikulski was optimistic that newcomers in the next Congress 鈥� 鈥渁 blue wave that I鈥檇 hoped would be a tsunami,鈥� she said 鈥� could help to turn the tide of negativity.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a tremendous new group coming in and a lot of new women got elected,鈥� Mikulski said. 鈥淎nd not only does the blue wave wear lipstick and high heels, it wears camouflage. Many of the women coming in have had military service. And these veterans bring a different view. They鈥檙e a different generation. They鈥檙e not only going to come to fight for veterans鈥� health care, but they will oppose wars that should not be fought and make sure we win wars if we鈥檙e going to fight them.
鈥淢ost important, I believe they鈥檙e going to put country over party. I think that they鈥檙e going to make a difference, not only in terms of policy, but in terms of tone and tenor. Keep an eye on them.鈥�
Asked about her thoughts on the 2020 presidential race, Mikulski said she thinks the Democratic nominee will come out of the West or Midwest and that President Donald Trump will face a challenge from within the Republican Party. She said the Democrats鈥� race could be over quick, partly because California鈥檚 primary was moved from June to March, and she mentioned four senators 鈥� Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Sherrod Brown 鈥� as possible contenders.
鈥淭hese are very talented people,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou also have Joe Biden pondering a run and Bernie Sanders pondering another run. So it鈥檚 going to be exciting.鈥�
2020 Census Critical for Baltimore
Bringing the discussion back to the local level, Mikulski, a lifelong resident of Baltimore, stressed the importance of the city鈥檚 participation in the 2020 census, tasking Perman and the University community with aiding Mayor Catherine Pugh to make sure every person is counted so the city can receive its fair share of federal funds.
鈥淭he consequences for Baltimore and Maryland are significant,鈥� Mikulski said. 鈥淓ighty-five percent of all federal funds that will come to Baltimore will be formula-driven, from Medicaid to mass transit, from Section 8 housing to school lunch programs. If we don鈥檛 get the census right, we will disadvantage ourselves for a decade 鈥� for a decade!鈥�
An undertaking like the census, Mikulski added, is where members of the UMB community can learn real-world lessons in civic engagement. And while she recognizes the power of technology and social media, she hopes that young people will realize that it takes more than emails, tweets, or hashtags to effect social change.
鈥淭his is a fantastic tool for organizing,鈥� Mikulski said, holding up her cellphone, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 also bloodless, you know? You might get the email, but you don鈥檛 get the person. So that鈥檚 why there鈥檚 nothing like interpersonal gatherings.
鈥淚 would encourage civic engagement and volunteerism, and my advice is this: Don鈥檛 treat civic engagement like it鈥檚 just an event. 鈥極h, I will go to the march. Oh, I will race for the breast cancer cure.鈥� That鈥檚 great. That鈥檚 wonderful. But you鈥檝e got to do more than that.
鈥淓ngagement has to be a lifestyle, not an event.鈥�
