Maxwell Sieben Baucus ( Enke; born December 11, 1941) is an American politician who served as a United States senator from Montana from 1978 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a U.S. senator for over 35 years, making him the longest-serving U.S. senator in Montana history. President Barack Obama later appointed Baucus to replace Gary Locke as the 11th U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China, a position he held from 2014 until 2017.
As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Baucus played an influential role in the debate over health care reform in the United States.Trudy Lieberman (November 4, 2008 ). Baucus Watch: A key senator on health reform holds a listening session, Columbia Journalism Review He was also chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and was chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Before his election to the Senate, Baucus was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1978, representing Montana's 1st congressional district. He previously served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974. His career included charges of conflicts of interest due to his ties to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and his nomination of his girlfriend to be a US Attorney.
Early life and education
Maxwell Sieben Enke was born on December 11, 1941, in Helena, Montana, to historian and rancher Jean Sheriff (1917–2011) and Stephen Enke (1916–1974), a demographer and economist. His father, born in British Columbia, Canada, was of German and Scottish descent, and his mother had English and German ancestry. Baucus lived in Los Angeles, California, until he was two, when his mother left his father and returned to Helena."In re on Behalf of Enke," Supreme Court of Montana, July 20, 1955.Jennifer McKee (September 29, 2008). "Baucus raised for ranch life, but took different road," The Independent Record.
His mother later married John J. Baucus, and she and her son, Max, took his surname. Baucus graduated from Helena High School in 1959.
After attending local public schools in his hometown of Helena, he attended Carleton College in Minnesota for a year. He then transferred to Stanford University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1964, and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After graduating, he attended Stanford Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1967.
Early career
After finishing law school, Baucus spent two years working as a staff attorney for the Civil Aeronautics Board and then two years as a lawyer at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. He moved back to his native Montana in 1971 to serve as the executive director of the state's Constitutional Convention, opening a law office in Missoula, Montana. In November 1972, Baucus was elected to the Montana House of Representatives as a state representative from Missoula. In November 1974 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, and he was re-elected in 1976.
U.S. Senate
Baucus was elected to the United States Senate on November 7, 1978, for the term beginning January 3, 1979, but was subsequently appointed to the seat by Montana's Democratic Governor Thomas Lee Judge on December 15, 1978, to fill the brief vacancy created by Senator Paul G. Hatfield's resignation. On April 23, 2013, a Democratic official confirmed that Baucus would not seek a seventh term.
Committee assignments
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms Committee on Finance (Chairman) As Chairman of the full committee, Baucus may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees of which he is not already a full member. Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-term Growth Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Chairman) Joint Committee on Taxation (Chairman) Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
Political positions
As a Democratic member of the Senate, Baucus was conservative, and frequently broke with his party on the issues of taxes, the environment, health care, and gun control. The web site That's My Congress gives him a 23 percent rating on progressive issues it tracks. NARAL Pro-Choice America's political action committee endorsed Baucus during his 2008 election campaign.
Civil rights The American Civil Liberties Union gave Baucus a 60 percent rating in December 2002, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record.
LGBT rights In 2006, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gave Baucus a 67% overall rating indicating having a mixed record on voting for gay rights. In 1996, Baucus voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which prohibited "marriage between members of the same sex in federal law, and provide that no state is required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states" and defined marriage as being between a single man and a single woman. However, in 2004 he voted against the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and in June 2012 he definitively spoke out in support for same-sex marriage. He has supported measures to curb job discrimination and hate crimes based on sexual orientation. He voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.
Tobacco tax extension In 2012, Baucus added to a transportation bill in Congress that extended the regulations covering cigarette manufacturers to "roll your own cigarette" stores that operate mass cigarette rolling machines.
Voting rights for Washington, D.C. Baucus voted against giving voting representation to the District of Columbia.
Economic issues
Baucus has a 74% pro-business voting record as rated by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He twice voted to make filing bankruptcy more difficult for debtors, once in July 2001 to restrict rules on personal bankruptcy, and a second time in March 2005 to include means-testing and restrictions for bankruptcy filers. He has frequently visited places of employment within the state and has personally participated in activities that he calls "Work Days".
Baucus voted for the Bush tax cuts in 2001. He has usually voted against repealing portions of that bill and against repealing more recent tax cut bills that benefit upper income taxpayers. In 2008, he voted in favor of permanently repealing the estate tax.
In March 2005, Baucus voted against repealing tax subsidies benefiting companies that outsource U.S. jobs offshore. On January 4, 2007, he wrote an editorial in the Wall Street Journal calling on Democrats to renew President George W. Bush's fast-track authority for international trade deals. In response, the Montana State Senate passed a resolution, 44-6, "that the U.S. Congress be urged to create a replacement for the outdated fast track system".
On October 27, 2009, he introduced the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 to Congress together with Representative Charles Rangel.
On August 9, 2011, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed Baucus to the United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.
Environmental issues
Baucus's environmental record in Congress was mixed. He supported Democratic leadership in voting against oil and gas subsidies and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drilling, as well as by voting in favor of national standards to reduce oil consumption and spur the use of hydrogen-powered cars. But he voted against the corporate average fuel economy standards (CAFE) and on increasing federal funds for solar and wind power. He was a leader in the massive Montana Legacy Project conservation project. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) gave Baucus a 79% rating for 2012; Baucus's lifetime LCV rating is 68%.
Foreign affairs Cuba
As a senator, Baucus opposed the United States embargo against Cuba and travel restrictions.
Iraq War
Baucus voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. He voted with a majority of Democrats against Senator John Kerry's amendment stipulating a firm deadline for withdrawal of American combat personnel from Iraq.
On July 29, 2006,Sun Herald news report Baucus's nephew Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus was killed in combat in Al Anbar Governorate. Phillip, a 28-year-old resident of Wolf Creek, Montana, had been a member of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.DefenseLink: "DoD Identifies Marine Casualty"
On January 10, 2007, the day of President Bush's address on his plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, Baucus spoke against the increases and called for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Israel
Baucus was one of the Senate's largest career recipients of pro-Israel Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions, receiving $550,589 since 1989.
Japan
Baucus went on a trade mission in Japan, inspecting the Tesla Motors facility in Tokyo, saying "Tesla is a great example of how exports and trade help the U.S. economy and create good-paying jobs at home in America. Our trade ties overseas help Tesla sell a world-class product that's manufactured in the U.S. by top-notch American workers," Baucus said. "There are millions of consumers in Japan and across the Pacific ready to buy more American-made goods, and we can continue to open those markets and boost U.S. exports with an aggressive trade agenda."
Vietnam
On July 14, 2009, The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on Baucus's attitude over Vietnam's "tra" and "basa" pangasius, saying there was no reason for America to launch a trade war with Vietnam over fish.Không có lý do gì về cá tra, basa Việt Nam "He's dead right about a trade issue now percolating in Washington," said the newspaper. The article, entitled "Max Baucus's Fish SenseProtectionism often hurts the protectionist", outlined this controversial topic in Washington and underlined the possibility that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could effectively ban imports from Vietnam of pangasius fish, which are similar to U.S.-produced catfish.US Senator warns against trade barriers to Vietnam's fish
The ostensible reason for the move would be food safety and the USDA is considering whether Vietnamese fish should be subject to a stricter safety inspection regime. But the article noted that there have been no reported cases of Vietnamese fish making American consumers sick and the proposed inspections would be onerous. It quoted Baucus as telling Congress Daily, "If we expect other countries to follow the rules and drop these restrictions, it is critical that we play by the rules and do not block imports for arbitrary or unscientific reasons."
Gun policy
In 1994, Baucus cast a pivotal vote in favor of Senator Dianne Feinstein's "Assault Weapons" Ban.
In 1999, Baucus was the only Democrat to have voted against an amendment by Senator Frank Lautenberg that sought to "regulate the sale of firearms at gun shows"— after the Columbine High School massacre.
In 2013, Baucus was one of four Democrats to vote against the Manchin-Toomey Amendment to expand background checks for potential gun buyers. He is an avid hunter.