barbara mikulski

• Politics

Without words, federal workers are on track to get a pay raise

Without including a word in the bipartisan budget deal that reopened federal agencies on Thursday, Maryland Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin paved the way for a 1 percent pay raise for federal workers — the first such increase in three years.

• Politics

Congress approves deal on shutdown, debt

Congress Wednesday night approved a bipartisan deal to reopen the government and extend the nation's $16.7 trillion debt ceiling into early next year, a measure that will send tens of thousands of federal employees in Maryland back to work.

• Politics

Without words, federal workers are on track to get a pay raise

• Politics

Mikulski: Deal allows 1 percent raise for federal workers

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday that the deal approved by Congress to reopen the federal government would also allow President Barack Obama to go foward with his plan to offer a 1 percent pay raise to federal employees.

• Politics

Mikulski: Deal allows 1 percent raise for federal workers

• Politics and Government

Obama to make public plea in Maryland

President Barack Obama will make his case for reopening the federal government at a construction firm in Maryland on Thursday as a political solution to end the two-day-old shutdown remains elusive.

• Politics

Congress steers government toward shutdown

Lawmakers in Congress were scrambling late Monday to settle on legislation to end the latest budget showdown even as federal agencies prepared to cut services and furlough hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

• Latest

House sets vote on funding bill; agencies brace for shutdown

Republicans in the House of Representatives were set to approve a government funding bill Saturday that would delay the nation's health care law for one year — inching federal agencies closer to a shutdown analysts predict would have a significant economic impact in Maryland.

• Jobs and Workplace

Maritime union hopes film on 2009 pirate attack will raise awareness

As the Oct. 11 release date of the new movie "Captain Phillips" approaches, Baltimore-based officials with the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots hope to capitalize on the publicity to highlight the importance of the merchant marine — and full funding of their mission.

• Politics

Sarbanes joins list of Brown endorsers

Sarbanes joins parade of Brown endorsers

• Howard County

Council member Watson launches Howard County executive campaign

Before a large crowd of supporters at Kahler Hall in Columbia this morning, District 1 County Council member Courtney Watson made the long-awaited announcement: She is, officially, running for Howard County executive.

• Politics

Mikulski backs Brown in primary for Maryland governor

U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski threw her support behind Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown Sunday in the 2014 Maryland governor¿s race, praising him as ¿a man of honor and a man of commitment¿

• Politics

Mikulski to endorse Brown

U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski plans to endorse Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown in his bid for governor, sources familiar with the plans said Friday.

• Sun Investigates

Employees at troubled Baltimore VA office got bonuses

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Baltimore gave $64,000 in bonuses to its employees since 2010, even as the percentage of backlogged disability claims for Maryland veterans outpaced the national average by double digits.

• Veterans Affairs

Mikulski demands Baltimore VA improve 'lackluster' performance on key program

In a letter sent Monday to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Maryland's senior senator calls on the VA's Baltimore office to develop an action plan within 10 days to improve its "lackluster" approach to an initiative designed to speed up the time it takes to process disability claims.

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Mikulski demands Baltimore VA improve 'lackluster' performance on key program

• Veterans Affairs

VA office excluding veterans from disability program, group says

The beleaguered Veterans Affairs office in Baltimore excluded Maryland servicemen and servicewomen from a program designed to fast-track their disability claims, according to a senior American Legion official.

• Politics

Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski says she supports Syria strike

The dean of Maryland's congressional delegation and a prominent voice in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, said on Monday that she supports giving President Barack Obama authorization to strike Syria.

• Politics

Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski says she supports Syria strike

• Politics

Mikulski convinced by evidence but undecided on strikes

• Politics

In deep-blue Maryland, deep misgivings about another war

Several dozen protesters rallied in Rockville and Ellicott City on Wednesday to deliver the message that even in Democratic Maryland — where six in 10 voted to re-elect President Obama last year — there are deep misgivings about U.S. involvement in another Middle East war.

• Port of Baltimore

$10 million grant to expand port of Baltimore

The port of Baltimore won a $10 million federal grant to build more access to rail, expand storage at Fairfield Marine Terminal, and help widen the channel at Seagirt Marine Terminal to accommodate bigger ships.

• Politics and Government

O'Malley raising, spending money on national races

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has raised nearly $500,000 in a federal campaign account he created last year and has made his first effort at spreading the cash around in early presidential primary states, a pair of campaign finance reports released Wednesday show.

• Politics

O'Malley's PAC shows early signs of life

WASHINGTON -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's federal PAC, which will become an important fundraising vehicle should he decide to run for president in 2016, is beginning to show signs of life.

• Opinion

How is Barbara Mikulski not a 'woman to watch'?

How can The Sun leave Barbara Mikulski off its 50 Women to Watch list?

• Opinion

How is Barbara Mikulski not a 'woman to watch'?

• Politics

Mikulski backs federal review of Bay Bridge safety

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski used a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday to join in calling for a federal review of safety procedures on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

• Politics

Mikulski backs federal review of Bay Bridge safety

• Politics

Deal to avoid 'nuclear option' clears path for Perez

Senate leaders struck a deal Tuesday to avoid a showdown over the use of filibusters, ending a political drama and clearing the way for Marylander Thomas E. Perez to win confirmation as head of the Labor Department.

• Opinion

Bust the filibuster

The filibuster is preventing the proper functioning of our democracy and must be reformed.

• Jobs and Workplace

Defense employees frustrated by furloughs

Mary Theresa Nipwoda, a lab technician at Aberdeen Proving Ground, did what she could to prepare for the 20-percent pay cut she knew was coming this week.

• Health

Federal medical research cuts decried at Hopkins

The head of the nation's medical research agency and leaders of Johns Hopkins hospital and medical school warned Monday that progress in fighting diseases could be slowed, jobs lost and scientists driven overseas unless across-the-board federal funding cuts are reversed.

• Features

Prominent gay marriage opponent to depart Annapolis in 2014

Del. Emmett C. Burns, Jr., a prominent opponent of same-sex marriage and other gay rights initiatives in Annapolis for the last two decades, is officially retiring from the state legislature next year -- capping a long political career in which his stances on gay issues have increasingly put him at odds with legislative colleagues and younger voters.

• Sun Investigates

Md. lawmakers change tune on gay marriage

Reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act — as well as a more recent effort to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage — has underscored just how dramatically lawmakers have changed their view on the issue in the course of 17 years.

• Sun Investigates

Md. lawmakers change tune on gay marriage

• Maryland

Legislators acting to combat student loan rate increase

• Features

Supreme Court reshapes same-sex marriage debate

A divided Supreme Court struck down a federal law Wednesday that prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage, a landmark decision that will make federal marriage benefits available to legally married same-sex couples for the first time in the nation's history.

• Opinion

Lori's views outside the Catholic mainstream

Archbishop's views are outside the mainstream of his own church

• Politics

Mikulski says Senate committee puts veterans 'ahead of the line'

The Senate Appropriations Committee will consider a 10-point plan this week to address the claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Chairwoman Barbara A. Mikulski said Tuesday.

• Politics

Senate committee taking up VA claims backlog

• Opinion

Carbon tax is best answer

• Politics

Privacy advocates outraged, but lawmakers defend collection of phone records

Obama administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers defended the program as both legal and necessary.

• Politics

Privacy advocates outraged, but lawmakers defend collection of phone records

• Maryland

Md. pols flock to White House for Ravens

Elected officials from Maryland ditched their talking points and donned purple ties or dresses to pay homage to the Ravens at the White House.

• Opinion

Sugar subsidies hurt the baking industry

John Paterakis Jr. says Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski erred in supporting a continuation of sugar subsidies.

• High School sports

VA looks to American Legion, other veterans groups for help with backlog

As officials at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs look internally for solutions to a claims backlog that is drawing increasing fire from Capitol Hill, they are also reaching for outside help from some of the nation's best-known veterans groups.

• Veterans Affairs

White House chief of staff visits local VA office

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough visited the Baltimore regional office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday to discuss efforts to address the agency's persistent backlog of veterans disability claims.

• Politics

Lawmakers press Pentagon, VA to cooperate on claims backlog

A bipartisan group of lawmakers pressed the Obama administration on Wednesday to reduce the backlog of disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs by improving cooperation between the agencies that have a role in the process.

• Politics

Lawmakers press Pentagon, VA to cooperate on claims backlog

• Politics

Policy pits candy against sugar

Some of Baltimore's best-known candy makers are pressing Congress to overturn a decades-old sugar policy they say is leaving a bad taste in their mouth.