Maxwell Sieben Baucus ( Enke; born December 11, 1941) is an American politician who served as a
United States senator
The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress.
Party affiliation
Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
from
Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
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
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
later appointed Baucus to replace
Gary Locke
Gary Faye Locke (born January 21, 1950) is an American politician, attorney, and former diplomat from the State of Washington. Locke served as the 21st governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, where he was the first Chinese-American governor ...
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
The United States Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generall ...
, Baucus played an influential role in the debate over
health care reform in the United States
Healthcare reform in the United States is the comprehensive change in the law and conduct of the healthcare system in the United States. Reforms have often been proposed but have rarely been accomplished. In 2010, landmark reform was passed throu ...
.
[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
The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) is a Committee of the U.S. Congress established under the Internal Revenue Code at .
Structure
The Joint Committee is composed of ten Members: five from the Senate Finance Committee and five from the Hous ...
, a member of the
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
The United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for legislation and oversight of the natural and built environment and for studying matters concerning environmental protection and resource conservation and util ...
, 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
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from 1975 to 1978, representing
Montana's 1st congressional district
Montana's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the United States House of Representatives that was apportioned after the 2020 United States census. The first candidates ran in the 2022 United States House of Representatives ...
. He previously served in the
Montana House of Representatives
The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.
Composition of the House
In the event that the parti ...
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
Helena (; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat, seat of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Lewis and Clark County.
Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold ...
, to historian and rancher
Jean Sheriff (1917–2011) and Stephen Enke (1916–1974), a demographer and economist.
His father, born in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, 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.
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
Carleton College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the main campus is between Northfield and the approximately Carleton ...
in Minnesota for a year. He then transferred to
Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
, where he received a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in economics in 1964,
and was a member of the
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 9, 1856.Baird, William Raimond, ed. (1905).Baird's Manual of American College Fratern ...
fraternity. After graduating, he attended
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School (SLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Stanford University, a Private university, private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law had an acceptance rate of 6.28% i ...
and graduated with a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
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
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
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
Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...
. In November 1972, Baucus was elected to the
Montana House of Representatives
The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.
Composition of the House
In the event that the parti ...
as a state representative from Missoula.
In November 1974 he was elected to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, and he was re-elected in 1976.
U.S. Senate

Baucus was elected to the
U.S. 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
The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) is a Committee of the U.S. Congress established under the Internal Revenue Code at .
Structure
The Joint Committee is composed of ten Members: five from the Senate Finance Committee and five from the Hous ...
(Chairman)
*
Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw- ...
Political positions

As a
Democratic member of the Senate, Baucus was conservative, and frequently broke with his party on the issues of
taxes
A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...
, the
environment, health care, and
gun control
Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians.
Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...
. The web site That's My Congress gives him a 23 percent rating on progressive issues it tracks.
NARAL Pro-Choice America
Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America and commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, politics, political action, and advocacy efforts to op ...
's
political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...
endorsed Baucus during his
2008 election campaign.
Civil rights
The
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.
T ...
rated Baucus at 60 percent in December 2002, indicating a mixed
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
voting record.
LGBT rights
In 2006, the
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
(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
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limitin ...
(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
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
. He has supported measures to curb job discrimination and hate crimes based on
sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...
. 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
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is a business association advocacy group and is the largest lobbying group in the United States. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging of President Will ...
. He twice voted to make filing
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
more difficult for debtors,
once in July 2001 to restrict rules on
personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy law allows, in certain jurisdictions, an individual to be declared bankrupt. Virtually every country with a modern legal system features some form of debt relief for individuals. Personal bankruptcy is distinguished from corpora ...
, 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
International tax law distinguishes between an estate tax and an inheritance tax. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and pr ...
.
In March 2005, Baucus voted against repealing tax subsidies benefiting companies that
outsource
Outsourcing is a business practice in which company, companies use external providers to carry out business processes that would otherwise be handled internally. Outsourcing sometimes involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to ...
U.S. jobs offshore. On January 4, 2007, he wrote an editorial in the ''
Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' calling on Democrats to renew President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
'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
Charles Bernard Rangel ( ; June 11, 1930 – May 26, 2025) was an American politician who served as United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for districts in New York City for 46 years. A member of the Democratic Party (Unite ...
.
On August 9, 2011,
Senate Majority Leader
The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and people of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as chief spokespersons for their respective political parties, holding the ...
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2 ...
appointed Baucus to the
.
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
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR, pronounced as “''ANN-warr''”) or Arctic Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States, on traditional Inupiaq, Iñupiaq and Gwichʼin, Gwich'in lands. The refuge is of ...
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
Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...
. He was a leader in the massive
Montana Legacy Project conservation project. The
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "builds political power for people and the planet." Through its affiliated super PAC, it is a major supporter of the Democratic Party. The org ...
(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
The United States embargo against Cuba is the only active embargo within the United States which has prevented U.S. businesses from conducting trade or commerce with Cuban interests since 1958. Modern Cuba–United States relations, diplomatic ...
and travel restrictions.
Iraq War
Baucus voted for the
's amendment stipulating a firm deadline for
withdrawal of American combat personnel from
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
.
On July 29, 2006, Baucus's nephew
Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus was killed in combat in
Al Anbar Governorate
Al Anbar Governorate (; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The population ...
. Phillip, a 28-year-old resident of
Wolf Creek, Montana, had been a member of the
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
,
I Marine Expeditionary Force
The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It i ...
.
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
In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...
(PAC) contributions, receiving $550,589 since 1989.
Japan
Baucus went on a trade mission in Japan, inspecting the
Tesla Motors
Tesla, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, it designs, manufactures and sells battery electric vehicles (BEVs), stationary battery energy storage devices from hom ...
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
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' published an editorial on Baucus's attitude over Vietnam's "
tra Tra or TRA may refer to:
Biology
* TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus
* Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer
* Tra gene, a transfer gene
* Triple rel ...
" and "
basa"
pangasius, saying there was no reason for America to launch a
trade war
A trade war is an economic conflict often resulting from extreme protectionism, in which states raise or implement tariffs or other trade barriers against each other as part of their commercial policies, in response to similar measures imposed ...
with
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
over
fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
. "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 could effectively ban imports from Vietnam of pangasius fish, which are similar to U.S.-produced
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
.
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
Dianne Emiel Feinstein (; June 22, 1933 – September 29, 2023) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 38th ...
's (D-CA) "Assault Weapons" Ban. In 2013, Baucus was one of four Democrats to vote against the
Manchin-
Toomey Amendment to expand
background check
A background check is a process used by an organisation or person to verify that an individual is who they claim to be, and check their past record to confirm education, employment history, and other activities, and for a criminal record. The fr ...
s for potential gun buyers. He is an avid hunter.
In 1999, Baucus was the only Democrat to vote against an amendment by Senator
Frank Lautenberg (D-
NJ) that sought to "regulate the sale of firearms at gun shows"— after the
Columbine High School massacre
A school shooting and attempted bombing occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth-grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 13 students and one teach ...
.
[
In 2014, he cast one of only four Democratic votes against universal gun show background checks.]["Baucus stirs controversy on all sides,"]
''Politico''. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee ran ads in Montana saying: "Senator Baucus, it was WRONG to vote 'no' on stopping gun violence. 79% of Montana voters support background checks. Stand with us, not gun manufacturers."["Why liberals are glad Sen. Max Baucus is retiring,"]
''The Week''. The group planned to spend money to unseat Baucus over his vote on gun control in the 2014 election, but he chose not to seek reelection.[
]
Health care reform
In 2013, Baucus was criticized for his comments concerning the implementation of Obamacare provisions specifically stating it could turn into a "train-wreck". He feared that the changes and their specific implementations would have a negative impact on small business owners stating "When I am home, small businesses have no idea what to do, what to expect. They don't know what affordability rules are; they don't know when penalties may apply. They just don't know. While Baucus was very supportive of the intent of the new legislation saying "I spent two years of my life working on the Affordable Care Act. There is nothing I want more than for it to succeed," he was very critical of the resulting rollout.
Senate finance committee
As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus called the first Senate meeting of interested parties before the committee to discuss health care reform
Health care reform is for the most part governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place. Health care reform typically attempts to:
* Broaden the population that receives health care coverage through either public sector ins ...
, including representatives from pharmaceutical groups, insurance companies, and HMOs and hospital management companies. Some viewed the meeting as controversial because it did not include representatives from groups calling for single-payer health care
Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare, in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer"). Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from pr ...
.
Opposition to single payer health care
Advocate groups attended a Senate Finance Committee meeting in May 2009 to protest their exclusion as well as statements by Baucus that "single payer was not an option on the table." Baucus later had eight protesters removed by police who arrested them for disrupting the hearing. Many of the single-payer advocates said it was a "pay to play
Pay-to-play, sometimes pay-for-play or P2P, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities. The common denominator of all forms of pay-to-play is that one mu ...
" event.
MSNBC The Ed Show: Is Single payer on or off the table? A representative of the Business Roundtable, which includes 35 memberships of health maintenance organizations, health insurance and pharmaceutical
Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
companies, admitted that other countries, with lower health costs, and higher quality of care, such as those with single-payer systems, have a competitive advantage over the United States with its private system.
At the next meeting on health care reform of the Senate Finance Committee, Baucus had five more doctors and nurses removed and arrested. Baucus admitted a few weeks later in June 2009 that it was a mistake to rule out a single payer plan[Herszenhorn, David (June 23, 2009)]
"Baucus Grabs Pacesetter Role on Health Bill"
NYT. Retrieved on July 22, 2009. because doing so alienated a large, vocal constituency and left President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
's proposal of a public health plan to compete with private insurers as the most liberal position. Obama expressed deep frustration with Baucus regarding negotiations over the Affordable Care Act saying "A part of me wanted to get up, grab Baucus by the shoulders, and shake him till he came to his senses."
Baucus has used the term "uniquely American solution" to describe the end point of current health reform and has said he believes America is not ready yet for any form of single payer health care. This is the same term the insurance trade association, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), is using. AHIP has launched the Campaign for an American Solution, which argues for the use of private health insurance instead of a government backed program. Critics have said Medicare is already effectively a single-payer system.
Years after his departure from the Senate, Baucus said it would make sense to seriously consider a single-payer system.
Conflicts of interest
Ties to health insurance and pharmaceutical industries
Baucus has been criticized for his ties to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and was one of the greatest beneficiaries in the Senate of campaign contributions from these industries.[ From 2003-08, Baucus received $3,973,485 from the health sector, including $852,813 from pharmaceutical companies, $851,141 from health professionals, $784,185 from the insurance industry. and $465,750 from HMOs/health services, according to ]OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, including a revolving door database which documents the individuals who have worked in both the public sector an ...
. A 2006 study by Public Citizen
Public Citizen is an American non-profit, Progressivism in the United States, progressive consumer rights advocacy group, and think tank based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1971 by the American activist and lawyer Ralph Nader.
Lobbying e ...
found that between 1999 and 2005 Baucus, along with former Senate majority leader Bill Frist
William Harrison Frist (born February 22, 1952) is an American physician, businessman, conservationist and policymaker who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1995 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as ...
, took in the most special-interest money of any senator.
Only three senators have more former staffers working as lobbyists on K Street, at least two dozen in Baucus's case. Several of Baucus's ex-staffers, including former chief of staff David Castagnetti, are now working for the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries. Castagnetti co-founded the lobbying firm of Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, which represents ''America's Health Insurance Plans Inc'', the national trade group of health insurance companies, the Medicare Cost Contractors Alliance, as well as Amgen
Amgen Inc. (formerly Applied Molecular Genetics Inc.) is an American multinational biopharmaceutical Corporation, company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. As one of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, Amgen has a ...
, AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc () (AZ) is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, UK. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includi ...
, and Merck & Company
Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey. The company does business as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical com ...
. Another former chief of staff, Jeff Forbes, opened his own lobbying shop and to represent the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA, pronounced ), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, is an American trade group representing companies in the pharmaceutical industry. Founded in 1958, PhRMA ...
and the Advanced Medical Technology Association, among other groups.
A statistical analysis of the impact of political contributions on individual senators' support for the public insurance option conducted by Nate Silver
Nathaniel Read Silver (born January 13, 1978) is an American statistician, political analyst, author, sports gambler, and poker player who Sabermetrics, analyzes baseball, basketball and Psephology, elections. He is the founder of ''FiveThirty ...
has suggested that Baucus was an unlikely supporter of the public option in the first place. Based on Baucus's political ideology and the per capita health care spending in Montana, Silver's model projects that there would be only a 30.6% probability of Baucus supporting a public insurance option even if he had received no relevant campaign contributions. Silver calculates that the impact on Baucus of the significant campaign contributions that he has received from the health care industry further reduces the probability of his supporting a public insurance option from 30.6% to 0.6%.
In response to the questions raised by the large amount of funding he took from the health care industry, Baucus declared a moratorium as of July 1, 2009 on taking more special interest money from health care political action committees.[Eggen, Dan (July 21, 2009)]
"Industry Cash Flowed To Drafters of Reform; Key Senator Baucus Is a Leading Recipient"
''Washington Post''; retrieved July 22, 2009. Baucus, however, refused to return as part of his moratorium any of the millions of dollars he has received from health care industry interests before July 1, 2009, or to rule out a resumption of taking the same or greater health care industry contributions in the future. His policy on not taking health care industry money reportedly still allowed him to accept money from lobbyists or corporate executives, who, according to ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', continued to make donations after July 1, 2009.
A watchdog group found that in July 2009 Baucus accepted additional money from the health care industry in violation of his own self-defined moratorium terms, reportedly leading Baucus to return those monies.
In 2013, journalist Jonathan Cohn wrote in ''The New Republic
''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...
'': "It's not a huge exaggeration to say Baucus's career represents everything that is wrong with Washington."[ That year '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported that 28 former Baucus staffers had lobbied on tax issues during the Obama administration — the most of any member of Congress, and that on a regular basis Baucus would fly lobbyists to his ranch for weekend fundraisers.[
]
Nomination of girlfriend for US Attorney
In 2008, Baucus, while he was still married to his second wife, nominated his girlfriend and state office director, Melodee Hanes, to the vacant position of U.S. Attorney for Montana.["Baucus one of the Washington club,"]
''Politico''. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that according to several people he did not mention his relationship to the White House or to the attorney who tasked with reviewing candidates when he made the recommendation. Hanes then withdrew her nomination before the conflict of interest was discovered, because (according to Baucus) they wanted to be together in Washington, D.C. Both the Senator and Hanes had ended their marriages within the previous year; Hanes had met with the divorce lawyer of Baucus in 2007 at least twice, to discuss how the senator's work would be affected if he were to divorce his wife. Baucus said he was separated from his wife before he began seeing Hanes.[Daly, Matthew (December 5, 2009)]
"Baucus: Girlfriend merited US attorney nomination"
AP. Retrieved on December 5, 2009. Critics questioned whether he had misused his power to promote his lover and former aide.[ Marc Ambinder of ''The Atlantic'' wrote: "That Baucus would ignore the conflict of the interest or so easily dismiss it calls into question his judgment and his ethics. That's a scandal."
]
Political campaigns
2002
The 2002 Montana elections got national attention when Baucus's opponent, state senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Mike Taylor, accused Baucus of having implied in a campaign ad that Taylor was gay. The ad was paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. Its purpose is to elect Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current Chair is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of Ne ...
, not by the Baucus campaign. The ad, which alleged that Taylor had embezzled funds from the cosmetology school he once owned, showed footage from the early 1980s of Taylor massaging another man's face while wearing a tight suit with an open shirt. Taylor dropped out of the race and Baucus won with 63 percent of the vote.
2008
Baucus sought re-election in 2008 in Montana, a state that has seen political change starting in 2004 when it elected Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer and then in 2006 Democratic Senator Jon Tester
Raymond Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an American politician and farmer who served from 2007 to 2025 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Montana and from 2005 to 2007 as president of the Montana Senate. A member of the ...
by a slim margin. Montana was the only state in the U.S. to turn over a chamber of its legislature to Republican control in 2006. The legislative chamber had a one-seat Democratic majority that then became a one-seat Republican majority.
Baucus raised a record amount of money for his 2008 re-election bid, 91 percent of which came from individuals living outside of Montana. Similarly, according to OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, including a revolving door database which documents the individuals who have worked in both the public sector an ...
, Baucus's 2008 campaign raised $11.6million, only 13 percent of which came from Montana donors; the rest included millions from health care
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
and other industries overseen by Finance and Baucus's other committees.[Seabrook, Andrea & Overby, Peter (July 22, 2009)]
"Baucus Linchpin In Health Care Talks"
NPR, All Things Considered. Retrieved on July 22, 2009.
So as Baucus and other lawmakers attempt to craft a bill that can smash through a virtual gridlock of interests, the awkward question lingers: to whom are they more attentive, their voting constituencies back home or the dollar constituencies who are at the Capitol every day?
As a result of Baucus's significant fund-raising advantage, in the week he announced his intention to run for re-election he opened eight state officesone more than he had official offices in the state. Baucus also announced that he had hired 35 full-time campaign staff members. Baucus won re-election in a landslide victory
A landslide victory is an election result in which the winning Candidate#Candidates in elections, candidate or political party, party achieves a decisive victory by an overwhelming margin, securing a very large majority of votes or seats far beyo ...
, with 73% of the vote, carrying every county in the state.
U.S. Ambassador to China
On December 20, 2013, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Baucus to the post of Ambassador to China. He submitted Baucus's nomination to the Senate on January 7, 2014.
A hearing on the nomination was held by the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of the United States Senate, U.S. Senate charged with leading Foreign policy of the United States, foreign-policy legi ...
on January 28, 2014. His nomination was reported to the full Senate on February 4, 2014. He was confirmed by the full Senate on February 6, 2014 by a vote of 96–0 and Baucus himself voting "Present". Baucus was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
on February 21, 2014; ending the ambassadorship of Gary Locke
Gary Faye Locke (born January 21, 1950) is an American politician, attorney, and former diplomat from the State of Washington. Locke served as the 21st governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, where he was the first Chinese-American governor ...
. Baucus cannot speak Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...
, which was historically unusual for this position.
Baucus ended his ambassadorship in January 2017, as President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
nominated Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Terry Branstad
Terry Edward Branstad (born November 17, 1946) is a retired American politician who served as the 39th and 42nd governor of Iowa (1983–1999; 2011–2017) and the United States ambassador to China (2017–2020). A member of the Repu ...
from Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
to serve as the next Ambassador to China.
Later career
Baucus served on the Board of Advisors to Alibaba Group
Alibaba Group Holding Limited, branded as Alibaba (), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in E-commerce in China, e-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology. Founded on 28 June 1999 in Hangzho ...
until May 2019.
Electoral history
Personal life
Baucus has one son by his first wife, Ann Geracimos. Baucus and Geracimos divorced in 1982.
Baucus came under fire from critics calling him a beltway insider who no longer really lived in Montana and only occasionally came to visit. Until 1991, Baucus owned a house in Missoula, where he practiced law for three years before running for Congress in 1974. He didn't own a home again in Montana until February 2002, when he bought half of his mother's house from the ranch started by Baucus's great-grandfather in 1897.
In April 2009, the Associated Press reported that Baucus and his second wife, the former Wanda Minge, were divorcing after 25 years of marriage and had "parted ways amicably and with mutual respect".
On July 2, 2011, Baucus married girlfriend and former office manager Hanes at the Sieben Ranch in Montana.
Baucus has completed a 50-mile ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of . The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running.
Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the ...
and has crewed for winner and Vermont native Nikki Kimball at the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run
The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100 or Western States, is a 100.2-mile (161 km) ultramarathon that takes place on California's Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada Mountains trails each year on the last ...
, which he hoped to run in the future.
References
External links
Senator Max Baucus
official U.S. Senate website (archived)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baucus, Max
1941 births
Ambassadors of the United States to China
American male ultramarathon runners
American people of Canadian descent
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Scottish descent
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Montana
Democratic Party United States senators from Montana
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Montana House of Representatives
Montana lawyers
Politicians from Helena, Montana
Stanford Law School alumni
United Church of Christ members
Carleton College alumni
Stanford University alumni
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members
Helena High School alumni
21st-century Montana politicians
20th-century American sportsmen
21st-century United States senators
20th-century United States senators
20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
20th-century members of the Montana Legislature