[Senate Document 113-40]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]











                      TRIBUTES TO HON. MAX BAUCUS


                                           

                                Max Baucus

                       U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES

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                                                 S. Doc. 113-40


                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                     Max Baucus

                              United States Congressman

                                      1975-1978

                                United States Senator

                                      1978-2014


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                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

                               WASHINGTON : 2015                                           







                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell Address......................................
                                                                    vii
             Letters of Resignation................................
                                                                  xviii
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
                                                                     24
                    Cantwell, Maria, of Washington.................
                                                                     22
                    Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
                                                                     15
                    Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
                                                                     18
                    Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
                                                                     17
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     13
                    Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
                                                                     19
                    Menendez, Robert, of New Jersey................
                                                                     11
                    Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
                                                                     18
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                     12
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                  3, 12
                    Schumer, Charles E., of New York...............
                                                                      5
                    Tester, Jon, of Montana........................
                                                                      6
                    Wyden, Ron, of Oregon..........................
                                                                     20
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                                                     
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Throughout his career, Max Baucus never forgot where he 
             came from or who he represented. Raised on a ranch near 
             Helena, Max understands the values of hard work, faith, 
             family, and community. That's why he did ``workdays'' as 
             often as he could with local businesses in Montana. Max 
             would spend a full day working alongside Montanans to gain 
             a better perspective of the challenges they face. He's 
             done workdays on farms and ranches, at butcher shops and 
             pharmacies, schools and construction sites.
               In 1995 and 1996, Max walked the entire 820-mile length 
             of Montana. An avid runner, Max completed a 50-mile 
             running marathon in just over 12 hours in 2003.
               Boosting the State's economy and creating good paying 
             jobs in Montana topped Max's priority list. By combining 
             his trademark work ethic with independence and experience, 
             Max helped create thousands of good paying jobs in 
             Montana. He's held five separate statewide Montana 
             Economic Development Summits, each of which attracted more 
             than 1,000 people. These meetings, along with the State's 
             top economic development officials and business people, 
             helped lay the foundation for economic development 
             planning in the State.
               Whether fighting to expand the Children's Health 
             Insurance Program or writing landmark health care reform 
             legislation that is working to reduce the deficit and 
             provide quality, affordable health care coverage for all 
             Americans, Max led the charge to improve choice and 
             competition and make health care work better for 
             Montanans. For decades he led efforts to cut the rising 
             number of the uninsured in Montana and to strengthen 
             Medicare for Montana seniors.
               By traveling overseas and hosting foreign dignitaries in 
             Montana, Max helped knock down trade barriers and open 
             foreign markets to Montana's high-quality products. He led 
             Montana agriculture and business leaders on trade missions 
             to Asia, Cuba, Australia, and South America.
               Max was also committed to boosting Montana's education 
             system and fighting to increase access to public lands 
             important to hunting and fishing.
               Max graduated from Helena High School in 1959. He earned 
             both a bachelor of arts degree and a law degree from 
             Stanford University. He has one son, Zeno. In what little 
             free time Max has, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking 
             on the public lands he fights so hard to keep open.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                             Thursday, February 6, 2014

               Mr. BAUCUS. Let me begin by thanking so many of my 
             friends here: Senators Durbin, Carper, Hatch, and so many 
             others. I must say to you, you have expressed your 
             remarks, and they mean a lot to me. But they probably mean 
             more to me than I think you know. They mean so much to me. 
             Thank you for what you have said.
               I would also like to begin by thanking the people of 
             Montana. The people of Montana have given me the honor of 
             representing them in the Congress for nearly 40 years. It 
             is 39 now, and actually at the end of this year it will be 
             40 years. I want to thank President Obama very much for 
             the opportunity to serve the American people as Ambassador 
             to China.
               I also want to recognize one of the best teammates and 
             friends anyone could ever ask for, Senator Jon Tester. 
             Thank you, Jon.
               There is nothing greater in life than the love of 
             family. I have been an incredibly lucky man. I would like 
             to thank my wife Mel, my son Zeno, his wife Stephanie. I 
             would also to thank our grandchildren, Katie and Joey.
               Mel, Zeno, Stephanie, Katie, and Joey, you inspire me 
             daily. I am so grateful for each of you. I am so blessed 
             to have Mel in my life. Her energy, her zest for life, her 
             positive outlook, and her love have transformed me. I am 
             the luckiest guy in the world because of Mel. Katie and 
             Joey are clearly inspired by their mother. They are great 
             kids, great achievers. I think the last grades I saw--one 
             is in law school and the other is in college--they had all 
             A's. Why? Because they are inspired by their mother. That 
             is why they do so well, in the best sense of the term.
               My son Zeno is one of the best kids parents could ever 
             wish for. I am so proud of him. He is so smart, 
             intelligent, and decent. He is currently an assistant U.S. 
             attorney, living in Helena with his wife Stephanie. I am 
             proud of him. You may have read about that case where a 
             lady pushed her husband off a cliff in Glacier Park, MT. 
             He is the prosecutor in that case.
               I am very proud of him. Again, an indication of how 
             proud I am of him, I learned more about that case reading 
             the papers than I did from him. He keeps his cards close 
             to his vest and is such a decent, smart, effective guy.
               Stephanie, his wife, has jumped right into life in 
             Montana. She is so talented and special, and the Helena 
             community is very lucky to have her.
               Thanks so much to my parents Jean and John Baucus. I 
             wish they were here today.
               Growing up on a ranch in Montana, you learn the simple 
             lessons, the measure of life. You learn to cherish the 
             land. It gets in your blood. You work hard. It is 
             humbling. There is so much you cannot control working on a 
             ranch. You cannot control the weather, whether it rains or 
             it does not rain. You cannot control the prices. It gives 
             you a little perspective to feel philosophical about life.
               On the ranch you are charged also with nurturing life, 
             nurturing livestock, producing a small part of nature's 
             bounty. You have an obligation to learn as a rancher.
               It is also the Montana way to love the outdoors. We are 
             outdoors people in Montana. We hunt, we fish, we backpack, 
             we hike, we grow crops, we raise livestock, we mine coal, 
             and we cut timber. I think Montanans are more outdoor 
             people than any other people in the country. We love it. 
             It becomes part of our soul. Montana writer Bud Guthrie 
             said, ``Somehow I am part of it, a mortal partner to 
             eternity.''
               I grew up this way, and it shored up my belief that we 
             all have a moral obligation to our kids and grandkids when 
             we leave this place, to leave it in as good a shape or in 
             better shape than we found it. That internal compass is 
             also a lasting gift from my parents and their love of the 
             land. My mom is one of the most special persons one could 
             have the privilege to know. She had the class of Grace 
             Kelly and the spunk and grit of Katharine Hepburn. She was 
             a combination of them both--an intelligent, classy lady, 
             always positive, always upbeat. She was so intelligent and 
             so well read. She even read more books than I did. I would 
             come home at night and say, ``Mom, what are you reading?''
               She would tell me all about the book. One she was 
             reading was President Obama's second book, which he wrote 
             when he was a Senator. ``What do you think about that, 
             Mom?''
               ``Oh, it is a pretty good book. It has something to say. 
             It is a little long, though.''
               Anyway, she wrote a note to the President and told him 
             that she liked it. He wrote back, and they became pen 
             pals. It was very nice.
               Someone asked me last week what my mother would have 
             thought of all this. She would have been incredibly 
             excited and fascinated with the adventure ahead. Although 
             I miss her every day--in fact, I talked to her every day 
             at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. That hour goes by daily, 
             but I keep thinking of her. She is always on my mind, as 
             is my father. He loaded bombs on airplanes in Europe 
             during World War II. A product of the Great Depression, he 
             instilled in me the values of hard work, humility, and 
             good faith. He worked me hard on the ranch, stacked a lot 
             of hay, a lot of fencing. I know why he did it--for the 
             right reasons. I did not complain because I knew that he 
             was trying to raise me in the way that he hoped would help 
             me later in life.
               He was also such a decent person. No one ever spoke an 
             ill word of my father--ever--such a rock solid character. 
             The Republican Party in Montana asked him to run for 
             Governor. He would not have anything to do with it. He did 
             not care about that politics stuff. He was a rancher and 
             liked what he was doing--ranching. I was so blessed to 
             have such great parents.
               Now 52 years ago, I was full of youthful idealism and 
             curiosity about life beyond the ranch. I am sure it was 
             caused somewhat by my parents. As a college student at 
             Stanford, I decided to take a year off from my studies 
             between my junior and senior year. I grabbed a knapsack 
             and I hitchhiked around the world for 1 year. It was June-
             August 1962 to about August-September 1963.
               I set out to visit countries I had only imagined--India, 
             Japan, and China, to name a few. Before I departed, I had 
             never thought about a life in public service. But that 
             trip opened my eyes. It charted my course. I realized how 
             people across the globe were interconnected. We are all in 
             this together.
               I saw the indispensable role that America plays as a 
             leader on the world stage. It was so obvious. I knew right 
             where I was, in the middle of the then-Belgian Congo, and 
             I had an epiphany. All this realization hit me that we are 
             so connected, that our natural resources are diminishing. 
             Somehow we have to work better together if we are going to 
             have better lives, not only for ourselves but for everyone 
             on the globe. We are so connected.
               The world is getting smaller. Our natural resources, in 
             fact, are diminishing. We have to find a way to work 
             better together. I returned home with a commitment to a 
             career where I could improve the lives of my fellow 
             Montanans and of all Americans. I would not be standing 
             here today had it not been for that trip where I 
             hitchhiked around the world, probably the most defining 
             era of my life.
               It was by far the most influential, and that 1 year set 
             into motion a series of opportunities to serve that I 
             would never have dreamed would take me back to China to 
             represent the United States 50 years later. When I first 
             ran for statewide office in 1973, no one knew me from 
             Adam. I had been away from the State for many years.
               I needed some advice. I had met Mike Mansfield when I 
             was in high school. Instantly there was a man I totally 
             respected and honored. He planted the seed, I know, for 
             later interest in public service. It was not a defining 
             moment, but I could tell at the time. He told me I should 
             run; I should go back home and serve. I was then working 
             at the SEC, just a short distance from here.
               If I wanted to run for Congress, he said, it would take 
             a lot of hard work, a lot of shoe leather, and a little 
             bit of luck. I took his advice literally. I wore out as 
             much shoe leather as I knew how. I walked the entire 
             length of the State of Montana from Gardiner in the 
             south--Gardiner is next to Yellowstone Park--up to the 
             Yaak, a remote part of Montana near the Canadian border.
               I got to know so many great people who later put me to 
             work for them in the House. It was right in the middle of 
             the Watergate political scandal. I joined a congressional 
             class determined to restore good faith and trust in 
             government, a terrific bunch of folks. They were just 
             great, the ``Watergate class.''
               I think of my friends Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Paul 
             Simon, Henry Waxman, and George Miller, to name a few. It 
             was a great class. They were running for office and 
             serving for the right reasons.
               When I hitchhiked around the globe as a young man, I 
             also realized that no country has a monopoly on religion, 
             culture, or virtue. We are all together. We are all in 
             this together. All people basically have the same dreams 
             for their families--to put food on the table, to make ends 
             meet, to take care of the kids, have health care they 
             could afford, and a clean environment for their families 
             to explore and enjoy.
               The Senate can make people's dreams a reality. We are so 
             lucky as Americans to have this institution under our 
             Constitution written by our very perceptive forefathers. 
             It offers what few institutions in the world can boast--
             the opportunity to make a difference when history calls.
               One of the greatest privileges I have had in this job is 
             having one of the best staffs on the Hill. They are 
             sitting behind me--some of them. They are terrific. They 
             have always been ready with big ideas and dedication to 
             answer history's call. If there is a vanguard of vision, 
             my staff has been in it.
               I might say, parenthetically, I am very proud of my 
             staff for another reason. My office has spawned about six 
             marriages. A woman or a man working in my office who 
             didn't know each other until they started working in my 
             office got together and got married--six times--and they 
             have all worked but for one. I don't know, but maybe I 
             worked them too hard or maybe not hard enough. Whatever 
             the reason, over the years after they were married, to see 
             their kids, it has been terrific. It meant so much to me.
               How many people have served since the time I have been 
             here? The answer is 1,423 folks have worked on behalf of 
             Montanans and on behalf of Americans, each person making a 
             positive difference to the lives of others.
               I thank them all very much.
               In the years I have been in the Senate, we voted to send 
             our sons and daughters to fight wars overseas, to protect 
             our national security. I think the strongest human 
             instinct is self-preservation. When you come from a 
             beautiful place such as Montana, and from the wonderful 
             people of our State, you will stop at nothing to defend 
             them.
               Montana has a tradition of answering the call to serve. 
             As a matter of fact, more Montanans have volunteered for 
             service per capita than nearly any State in the Nation.
               My own nephew Phillip left college to enlist in the 
             Marines. Before long he was far away in Anbar Province 
             serving our country. I loved Phillip as a father. His 
             fellow marines looked to him for support, counsel, advice, 
             and leadership as they faced many firefights. He made 
             lance corporal in record time. He gave his life to our 
             Nation and then returned to the family ranch for the very 
             last time.
               Phillip, like each one of the fallen heroes who bore our 
             battles, left behind big dreams undone and countless 
             broken hearts. Dust to dust--we still shudder.
               President Lincoln concluded his second Inaugural Address 
             with a call for the Nation to ``care for him who shall 
             have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.'' 
             Lincoln's commitment remains our sacred duty today.
               In the Senate we have made progress. We enacted tax 
             credits for businesses that hire veterans and enacted a 
             new GI bill. In the past 10 years Congress has doubled 
             support for the VA. That is an investment of which we 
             should be proud. Someone once wrote: ``In war, there are 
             no unwounded soldiers.'' It is important we remember that. 
             We make the tough votes to authorize war, and we must also 
             find the courage to band together so that our troops 
             return to a nation that honors their service.
               Of all the bills that I have worked on, there are two 
             that stand out. In 2010 we took the Montana National 
             Guard's model of improved PTSD screening and expanded it 
             nationwide. That concept of very meaningful PTSD screening 
             began in Montana with the Montana National Guard. It 
             worked so well I got it in the defense bill, and it is now 
             being enacted nationwide to make sure we do the very best 
             to protect our kids who are coming home.
               The new screenings have resulted in more than 800,000 
             servicemembers who have received personal and private one-
             on-one attention from a trained health care provider--both 
             before and after deployment. Make no mistake; these 
             screenings are saving lives.
               I am also proud of another life-saving bill, the 
             Affordable Care Act. It has been almost 4 years since 
             President Obama signed that act into law, and in that time 
             the law has done more than any other in the past half 
             century to expand access to health coverage. It has 
             provided 71 million Americans free preventive service. 
             More than 6 million seniors have received discounts on 
             vital prescription drugs.
               More than 3 million young people have peace of mind 
             knowing they will be allowed to stay on their parents' 
             health plans. I am especially proud that now no child will 
             ever be denied health care coverage because they had been 
             sick or had a preexisting condition.
               It has been a tough road. It has been a challenge I am 
             proud to have taken on. While the debate over the law 
             continues, I am proud to stand for it because it is 
             helping millions of Americans.
               Take Julie from Helena. Julie wrote to me that she is 
             self-employed and finally able to get access to 
             affordable, quality health care coverage because of the 
             ACA.
               John, from Missoula, has a daughter who survived ovarian 
             cancer. Thanks to the ACA, she was able to stay on her 
             parents' insurance and win her battle against cancer.
               I am very proud of the role I played in helping to make 
             health care more accessible and more affordable to many 
             Americans.
               In this Chamber there are brilliant men and women. With 
             great respect to my colleagues, I insist that, in the most 
             important respect, Senators are just ordinary people--big, 
             not-so-big, tall, short, men and women. We are just 
             people.
               It is only through the extraordinary institution of the 
             Senate that the ordinary people have the power to make 
             life better for all Americans. We belong to something 
             bigger than ourselves. When I first came to the Senate, 
             Senators from opposing parties actually had lunch together 
             in the private Senate Dining Room on the floor below the 
             Chamber. It was called the inner sanctum.
               In those daily rituals we learned about each other's 
             families, home States, and developed real friendships. 
             Senators dined together--no spouses, no staff, only 
             Senators from both sides of the aisle. We compared notes, 
             talked about our kids, and talked about our family. We 
             talked about legislation, and we got to know each other. 
             It was wonderful getting to know each other, to build 
             trust, confidence, and understanding. It was the backbone 
             of respect that we all relied upon.
               Those friendships provided a refuge from the political 
             firestorms and common ground to turn to after the 
             wrangling over the disagreements of the day.
               Now schedules are packed with caucus meetings and 
             political fundraisers. The Senate is losing the spirit of 
             friendship and forgiveness that, in the words of 
             Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, ``is the final oil 
             of harmony in all human relations and which rests upon the 
             contrite recognition that our actions and attitudes are 
             inevitably interpreted in a different light by our friends 
             as well as foes than we interpret them.''
               Friendship and forgiveness, that is the oil of human 
             relations that brings us together. That private Senate 
             Dining Room now carries only the echoes of the friendships 
             once forged at its tables, and we are poorer for it. Yet 
             there is nothing inevitable about this trend. The hope of 
             this body lies in individual Senators. The heart set upon 
             solutions to problems will win over the heart devising 
             traps for political gain.
               It is my honor to have friendships that formed the basis 
             for solving some of the Nation's most difficult problems. 
             I will never forget working together with the late Senator 
             John Chafee on the Environment and Public Works Committee.
               I worked with John for years before finding out he was 
             an amazing war hero, decorated for his service in Korea. 
             He didn't tell us that. It took years before I learned 
             what a hero he was, a self-effacing kind of guy. Few 
             people knew about his war record because he didn't brag 
             about it or use it for political gain. He served because 
             he believed in it, not because he thought he could benefit 
             from it. Without a doubt, we need more John Chafees in the 
             world.
               Between 1989 and 1990, we sat together in a small room 
             off the Senate floor, facing wave after wave of unhappy 
             Senators--sometimes until 1 or 2 in the morning. He was 
             the ranking Republican member of the EPW Committee. I 
             became chairman of the Environmental Protection 
             Subcommittee.
               Together we met with our colleagues ironing out the 
             compromises on acid rain, ozone depletion, air quality 
             permits, and scores of other issues. Senator Chafee later 
             became chairman of the full committee. We had our 
             disagreements, but by and large under Senator Chafee's 
             chairmanship I recall an oasis of civility.
               That friendship helped us to pass the Clean Air Act 
             Amendments of 1990. I am very proud of that effort. I was 
             chairman of the committee at that time, and we finally got 
             it.
               It is a small point, but I always respected that he 
             never raised his voice. He was always civil, always 
             decent, always positive, upbeat, and trying to find a 
             solution. John never lost his temper. He listened 
             carefully to the other person's point of view.
               He was a paragon of the Senate--as is my good friend 
             from Iowa, Chuck Grassley.
               Chuck and I began our friendship by deciding to meet 
             weekly face to face in his office or my office. It turned 
             out to be 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday. We would bring our 
             staffs together. Pretty soon our staffs were talking to 
             each other. The health care staff after a while started 
             talking to each other and our trade staff started talking 
             to each other.
               Heck, we were basically one office. If you were a fly on 
             the wall, you would think this was one office where people 
             were trying to get together to solve problems.
               Chuck is a Republican; I am a Democrat. We have 
             differences, but our goal is to solve the problems and 
             find solutions while adhering to our principles.
               Our friendship led to a culture of respect and honesty 
             in the Senate Finance Committee that helped us pass 
             important agreements of other bills to expand trading 
             opportunities with the rest of the world. I am especially 
             proud of our work together to successfully shepherd the 
             Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Senator Carper 
             referred to it just a short while ago.
               I thank my good friend Dave Camp. Dave is chairman of 
             the House Ways and Means Committee. We have worked 
             together a lot over the past couple of years on tax 
             reform. We have bridged the partisan divide to help pass 
             the most recent highway bill and the payroll tax cut. Dave 
             is a super American and a wonderful man. I am very lucky 
             to have him as a friend.
               It has also been a terrific honor working with my good 
             friend Senator Orrin Hatch.
               Orrin, Dave, and I, recently worked together to 
             introduce trade promotion authority legislation to make 
             Congress a full partner in trade negotiations. In trade, 
             as in so many important areas, working together is the 
             only way to get the job done. The Senator is a real 
             American--Orrin Hatch. He is the salt of Utah and cares 
             about his State and his country. The Senator is a 
             wonderful person to work with. I can't thank him enough.
               Thank you, Senator Hatch.
               In 1961, President-elect John F. Kennedy said:

               Our governments, in every branch, at every level, 
             national, State, and local, must be as a City on a Hill--
             constructed and inhabited by men aware of their great 
             trust and their great responsibilities.

               If we are indeed a City on a Hill, it rests firmly on 
             the bridges that Senators built when they faced even the 
             deepest of divides. I mention my closest friendships 
             across the aisle because it is those bridges that we lack 
             the most today.
               The epiphany I had as a young man hitchhiking around the 
             world 52 years ago I believe is even more relevant today. 
             Advances in technologies and communications have made us 
             more interconnected as people than ever before.
               The challenges of globalization bind us even more. 
             Climate change--we are all in this together--terrorism, 
             economic development, and education, can all be addressed 
             with good faith and a commitment to finding common ground.
               I am committed in my next chapter to meet these 
             challenges. The United States-China relationship I believe 
             is one of the most important bilateral relationships in 
             the world that will shape global affairs for generations. 
             We must get it right.
               Thirty-eight years ago, Mike Mansfield said farewell to 
             this institution by simply declaring: ``There is a time to 
             stay and a time to go.''
               Now, as I face my own crossroads, I am humbled to have 
             the opportunity to follow in his footsteps.
               As America's Ambassador to Japan, Mansfield worked hard 
             to strengthen and improve America's relationship 
             throughout history. I will try to do the same.
               Many of you know I love to run. I actually have my eye 
             on the Beijing Marathon--but, to be more honest, maybe I 
             will scale it down to a half-marathon, something a little 
             shorter. When I think about my next endeavor, I am 
             reminded of something a professional runner, Paul Tergat, 
             once said: ``Ask yourself: `Can I give more?' The answer 
             is usually `Yes.'''
               I can give more; we all can. I thank President Obama for 
             asking me. I am indeed energized to serve America in this 
             new role and to look at this as my sprint to the finish.
               I trust Montanans to choose wisely as they have so well 
             with my friend, the great Senator from Montana Jon Tester.
               My final message is not for my esteemed peers but for 
             the young people chasing their dreams across the Montana 
             Hi-Line, searching for meaning through the Yellowstone 
             River Valley or climbing toward their future along the 
             Rocky Mountain Front.
               The headlines paint the picture that there is no honor 
             in public service. I disagree. I think the greatest noble 
             human endeavor is service--service to friends, service to 
             family, to church, to synagogue. Public service. The most 
             noble human endeavor is service. So I urge you young folks 
             to take up that challenge that politics is not an 
             honorable profession. It is more than honorable. It is an 
             obligation to serve. I urge you to follow and serve. 
             Choose to serve others. For me, it has been the honor of a 
             lifetime. I am so lucky. And be ready--because history is 
             calling.
               It is with deep gratitude and respect that I say for the 
             last time, with full faith in the highest forms of the 
             Senate, I yield the floor. But before doing so, I just 
             have to say I am not going anywhere. I am just taking a 
             trip, maybe for a year or two, across the Pacific--just a 
             trip. I will be coming back because we all are together on 
             different journeys that we take.
               I thank all of you, my colleagues.
               I yield the floor.
                               Letters of Resignation
                              Monday, February 10, 2014

                      U.S. Senate, Washington, DC, February 6, 2014.

             Governor Steve Bullock,
             Montana State Capitol,
             Helena, MT.

               Dear Governor Bullock: In order to assume the 
             responsibility of serving as the United States Ambassador 
             to China, I write to resign my seat in the United States 
             Senate effective upon my appointment as Ambassador. 
             Representing the people of Montana for 40 years has been 
             the honor of a lifetime. I am grateful for the trust 
             Montanans have bestowed on me and the opportunity to 
             contribute to our great state and nation.

                Respectfully,
                                                    Max Baucus.

                                 ------------------

                                                   February 7, 2014.

             Hon. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,
             President of the Senate,
             Washington, DC.

               Dear Vice President Biden: In accordance with my letter 
             of February 6, 2014 to Governor Bullock, this is to 
             clarify that my resignation as United States Senator 
             became effective at the close of business on February 6, 
             2014.

                Sincerely,
                                                    Max Baucus.
?

                                           

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                     MAX BAUCUS
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                             Thursday, February 6, 2014
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have had the good fortune of 
             serving in Congress for more than three decades with a 
             good man, the senior Senator from Montana, Max Baucus. We 
             hope to schedule a vote sometime this afternoon on his 
             confirmation to be our Nation's Ambassador to China.
               Senator Baucus has served in the Senate for a long time. 
             At the end of this year, he will have served 36 years. 
             Prior to that, he served in the House of Representatives 
             for 4 years. Prior to that, he served a term in the 
             Montana State Legislature.
               He has his undergraduate and law degree from Stanford. 
             He is an extremely smart person and is certainly versed on 
             what goes on in the Congress.
               After he received his law degree from Stanford, he 
             worked as an attorney at the Securities and Exchange 
             Commission and entered private practice in Missoula after 
             that.
               His mentor, and the person who got him interested in 
             politics, was Mike Mansfield. I didn't know him--I 
             shouldn't say I didn't know him. He attended the Prayer 
             Breakfast, and I met him on a number of occasions at our 
             Wednesday Prayer Breakfast. He was a very quiet man, and 
             that is what everybody says about him. He was the worst 
             guest in the world to interview on a Sunday show because 
             he wouldn't say anything. He would just answer yes or no. 
             He was well respected in the Senate by Democrats and 
             Republicans.
               I heard Senator Baucus tell the story many times about 
             how Mike Mansfield suggested that he go into politics. 
             Well, he did do that.
               Senator Baucus served 2 years in the Montana State 
             Legislature before he was elected in 1974 to the House of 
             Representatives. He served, as I indicated earlier, 4 
             years in the House before coming to the Senate. He has 
             been elected and reelected to the Senate 5 times. As I 
             said, at the end of this year, he will have served for 36 
             years in the Senate.
               He has been chairman of the Finance Committee. He has 
             been chairman of the Environment and Public Works 
             Committee. He has a been a member of the Agriculture 
             Committee for a long time. By the way, he was appointed to 
             that committee on a temporary basis many decades ago and 
             never left.
               As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, he was 
             instrumental in developing lots of landmark legislation, 
             but the most significant law he helped to pass in this 
             body was the landmark health care reform bill, the 
             Affordable Care Act, which is saving lives and a lot of 
             money for American taxpayers.
               He has been a longtime advocate for the Children's 
             Health Insurance Program. He worked on that with a number 
             of people--not the least of which is Senator Orrin Hatch 
             of Utah.
               While Senator Baucus is well known nationally for his 
             tireless work on health care, tax reform, and as a member 
             of the Environment and Public Works Committee, he was also 
             involved in public works projects.
               I think the most important thing that Montanans will 
             remember about him is that he always put Montanans first. 
             He is an avid hunter. He authored one of the largest 
             public land grant bills in American history which 
             preserved 310,000 acres of forest land in northwestern 
             Montana.
               It is a testament to his love of the outdoors that Max 
             Baucus walked almost 1,000 miles across Montana in 1995 
             and 1996.
               Max and I have an ongoing dialog about running. I have 
             run a number of marathons, but Max Baucus is a better 
             runner than I am. He is faster, and he has run--I ran one 
             31-mile race, but Max has run 50-mile races, and he has 
             trained for 100-mile races. During one of those, he fell 
             and hurt himself quite significantly. He hit his head 
             because of a fall.
               We have exchanged news articles and stories about 
             runners. We enjoy focusing on our athletic skills. It was 
             just the two of us, so we could say whatever we wanted 
             because there was no one there to listen.
               He is someone who loves running. He is still an avid 
             runner, and I have admired him for his athletic skills in 
             addition to his legislative skills.
               Senator Baucus' independent spirit has made him a 
             powerful advocate for Montana and for the issues he cares 
             about. He is a respected member of the Democratic caucus 
             and has great respect from the Republican caucus.
               During the time that Senator Grassley was the ranking 
             member--I can't vouch for this, but I think I am right--
             and Senator Baucus was chairman of the Finance Committee, 
             they met every week for lunch. Every week we were in 
             session, they had lunch together.
               His passion is well known to all of us. He has decades 
             of experience in Congress. President Obama made an 
             excellent choice in appointing Senator Baucus to represent 
             America's interests in China, a growing power in our 
             global economy.
               He has never shied away from difficult issues of the 
             day, and I have no doubt that his fearlessness will serve 
             him well in his new role as a representative for our 
             country in China.
               Although Senator Baucus will be missed by the entire 
             Democratic caucus and the Senate family, our loss will be 
             the Nation's gain.
               I wish the senior Senator from Montana the very best.
               I hope we will vote this afternoon on Senator Baucus' 
             nomination to be Ambassador to China. We have not locked 
             that in yet.

               Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I rise to speak of my 
             colleague, our friend Senator Baucus, who hopefully will 
             be confirmed by the Senate to his new post in a few hours.
               I have, of course, known Senator Baucus since I came to 
             the Senate, but even before, one of my first impressions 
             of him was a picture of Senator Baucus in his white cowboy 
             hat on his ranch in Montana. To me, a kid from New York 
             City, he looked like the Marlboro Man. He was handsome and 
             he was in the cowboy hat. So I said, ``Wow.''
               When I met Senator Baucus, I found his heart, his brain, 
             and his soul were every bit as good as the outside. He was 
             a great leader of the Finance Committee. First, he had 
             great intellect. Max Baucus would see an issue, understand 
             the issue, and get to the heart of the issue quicker than 
             almost anybody else. He understood the vagaries of 
             legislation, and he knew how to try to get things done. He 
             always worked in a bipartisan way. He reached out to 
             Republicans, and many criticized him sometimes for doing 
             it, but given the gridlock in this body, in retrospect, 
             everybody would think: Wow, that is what we should be 
             doing. And he tried and tried.
               Of course, his crowning legislative achievement was 
             health care. I know there are some--particularly on the 
             other side of the aisle--who criticize it, but I have no 
             doubt that Max Baucus will be regarded as a giant in what 
             he did in coming up with the health care reform bill. I 
             have no doubt that as the kinks are worked out and as the 
             effort moves forward, it will be regarded as one of the 
             pieces of landmark legislation of this decade and this 
             century, and it wouldn't have happened without Max Baucus.
               There are 37 million Americans who now have access to 
             health insurance, a whole generation of young adults who 
             will be insured through the age of 26, and protection of 
             all Americans with preexisting conditions because of the 
             diligence, the never-give-up attitude Senator Baucus had. 
             On so many other things in the bill--getting after the 
             private insurance companies; now community health centers 
             are providing health care for the poorest among us in a 
             better way--this is one of many issues on which Max Baucus 
             took the lead.
               As I say, he was a premier legislator, worked long and 
             hard, figured out what he thought the right thing to do 
             was, tried to get colleagues from the other side of the 
             aisle as well as on our side of the aisle to support it, 
             and then got it done. The list of his accomplishments is 
             long. He took the bull by the horns, never backing off.
               I know Senator Baucus will be an outstanding Ambassador 
             to China. It is one of the most important foreign policy 
             positions our country has to offer, and having someone 
             with Max Baucus' acute mind, great persistence, good 
             heart, and good soul will mean a lot.
               Not only are we going to miss Max, we are going to very 
             much miss his wife Mel. She is terrific. They met not too 
             long ago, and I know how happy they make each other. I 
             think it makes all of us feel happy as well.
               Max, you are truly the best of the ``Last Best Place,'' 
             and we will all miss you.

               Mr. TESTER. ... We have just come through the worst 
             recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. 
             Unemployment is still at 7 percent. We need to get it 
             lower. The bottom line is there are still some folks out 
             there who need some help, and as the economy continues to 
             improve--we are not where we need to be yet--we ought to 
             give those folks the help they need to get back on their 
             feet, to give them the hope they need to reenter the 
             workforce and become valuable parts of our economy again.
               Madam President, there is a beautiful small town in the 
             farthest corner of northwest Montana. The town is called 
             Libby, and it sits in the heart of the Kootenai Valley, 
             surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains. It is a 
             beautiful place. But despite Libby's postcard-worthy 
             views, the town has a troubled history.
               Starting in 1919, mining companies began pulling 
             vermiculite from the mountains outside of town. 
             Vermiculite was used to bake, to build soil in gardens, 
             and to insulate buildings. It was not long before the 
             families of Libby began to pay the price for keeping their 
             fellow Americans warm.
               Mining vermiculite exposed Libby's miners and residents 
             to asbestos dust. That asbestos got into their homes, 
             their schools, and--eventually--their lungs. Over the 
             decades, hundreds of folks in Libby died from asbestos 
             exposure, and thousands more continue to suffer today.
               When the W.R. Grace company bought the mines in 1963, 
             the company denied that asbestos caused the illnesses 
             plaguing the town's residents. Instead of sounding the 
             alarm, they kept quiet while building corporate profits on 
             the backs of Libby's suffering families and workers.
               Word about Libby's fate finally made it to national news 
             in 1999. The plight of Libby's families caught the 
             attention of one man in particular, Montana's senior 
             Senator Max Baucus.
               Max soon began his crusade to get the EPA and the 
             Department of Health and Human Services to take action. 
             Despite Max bringing countless government officials to 
             northwest Montana to see what asbestos had done to the 
             men, women, and children of Libby, it took 10 years for 
             the government to declare this region a public health 
             emergency, the first of its kind. Thanks to Max, Libby 
             today is home to a state-of-the-art medical clinic that 
             screens and treats residents for asbestosis.
               Thanks to Max, the Affordable Care Act extended Medicare 
             coverage to everyone in the emergency zone. Thanks to Max, 
             funds are flowing into Libby to remove asbestos from 
             homes, schools, and playgrounds. Due to Max's hard work 
             and the determination of the people of Libby, the town is 
             slowly putting the sordid legacy of W.R. Grace in its 
             rearview mirror. Max's hard work for the people of Libby 
             is the Max Baucus that Montanans have come to know.
               But Max's work for the people of Montana started many 
             years before he led the fight to help the people of Libby. 
             In the early 1970s when Max started in public service, he 
             traveled to Butte to meet a fellow by the name of Harp 
             Cote. Harp knew the lay of the land in Butte, but he did 
             not know Max. Max did not know Butte. Harp was instantly 
             impressed with Max's willingness to work or, as Harp said 
             it, Max's ``fire in the belly.'' Max asked Harp to 
             introduce him to Butte's leaders and voters. Unlike other 
             candidates, Max did not want Harp to lobby the folks of 
             Butte on his behalf. Instead, Max went door to door 
             himself to win their support.
               That kind of work ethic, where you put your own shoe 
             leather into the fight, is the reason for Max's many 
             achievements in Congress, achievements that include saving 
             Social Security from privatization, leading the charge to 
             modernize the Clean Air Act, passing six farm bills and 
             three highway bills to strengthen Montana's and America's 
             economy.
               Folks in Washington do not always recognize Max's hard 
             work. In a town where too many people race for the nearest 
             TV cameras, Max's preference for hard work does not always 
             do him any favors. That is practically a mortal sin around 
             here. But not for Max. Max has represented Montana in 
             Congress since 1975.
               His long record of service proves that Montanans do not 
             want a showman. They do not want someone who yells across 
             the aisle. They want someone who will reach across that 
             aisle and find a way to say yes even when saying no is 
             easier to do. It is like the folks in Libby. Montana wants 
             someone who will work hard for them, who will get results 
             and fight to improve our quality of life. Montanans have a 
             soulmate in Max Baucus.
               I first met Max in 1998 at an economic development 
             meeting in Havre, MT. Max is famous for his economic 
             development summits in Butte. So it was no surprise that 
             we first crossed paths when Max was working to improve 
             Montana's economy. At that point in his career Max's 
             record was already impressive.
               In 1972, as director of Montana's constitutional 
             convention, Max helped pass one of the most progressive 
             State constitutions to date, enshrining protections for 
             clean air, for clean water, and for the right to a quality 
             education into law. He then walked the entire length of 
             our State to introduce himself to Montanans and win a seat 
             in Congress, meeting more men and women along the way like 
             Harp Cote.
               As Max gained experience in the Senate, he became 
             chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. 
             Soon thereafter, well into his fifties, Max hiked 820 
             miles, from one corner of our State to the other, to earn 
             the support of Montanans during his 1996 reelection. So 
             Max, in your new role as Ambassador, take my advice and do 
             not try to walk from one end of China to the other.
               Max next rose to become chairman of the Senate Finance 
             Committee. As chairman, Max did not have the luxury of not 
             getting the job done. The Finance Committee has been home 
             to some of our Nation's hardest working Senators and 
             greatest examples of bipartisanship because failing to 
             support critical programs like Social Security and 
             Medicare is simply not an option.
               On the Finance Committee, you cannot sit back and throw 
             stones. You have to roll up your sleeves, you have to find 
             common ground, and you have to get the job done. That is 
             what Max did. He passed legislation to reduce Americans' 
             tax burdens, improve children's health, and, most 
             recently, to reform our Nation's broken health care 
             system.
               Max's penchant for hard work and thoughtful, 
             independent-minded leadership stems from another great 
             Montanan that he and I both admire, former Senate Majority 
             Leader Mike Mansfield. Max met Mike as a teenager, and for 
             many Montanans of today, myself included, Max connects us 
             to Mike's legacy as a champion for the greater good, as 
             the champion for putting service and sacrifice well before 
             self, and a champion for Montana.
               Montana's leaders always put Montana first, and Max is 
             no exception. Just as Montana has shaped Max, Max has 
             shaped Montana. Max's dedication to our public lands is 
             legendary. Montana is known as the Treasure State because 
             of our incredible natural resources and unrivaled public 
             spaces. From Yellowstone to Glacier, Montana is a place 
             like no other. Throughout his career, Max has set out to 
             preserve our treasured lands for future generations to 
             enjoy. In 2008, the same year he won reelection and became 
             the first person to win all 56 counties in Montana, Max 
             helped set aside 320,000 acres of prime hunting and 
             fishing lands across our State.
               This land, which will forever be open to the public, is 
             part of Max's brainchild called the Montana Legacy 
             Project. Max's love of our outdoors extends to those who 
             share his love. In March 2000, he came to the Senate floor 
             to remember a young Montanan, Sean-Michael Miles, who had 
             tragically died in a car accident just over a year before.
               Max dedicated a scholarship in Sean's name. Max repeated 
             Sean's words:

               I know this land may pay a price for being beautiful, as 
             change advances, carrying with it the prospect of loss. It 
             is a land I desperately love. It is a part of me. It hurts 
             so much to care so much. Yet as a westerner, I am invited 
             to breathe it all in deeply each day.

               Max, Sean would be proud of your hard work to preserve 
             our treasured places. I pledge to carry on your efforts so 
             Montanans can continue to cherish our special places and 
             pass our traditions down to our kids and our grandkids.
               It is not a stretch to say that I would not be here if 
             it were not for Max Baucus. Max has brought world leaders 
             to Butte for his economic development summit. He brought 
             camera crews onto construction sites and small businesses 
             as part of his famous Montana workdays. He operated 
             forklifts in warehouses, made bread in Montana's bakeries, 
             and dug ditches--all to get a better feel for hard-working 
             Montanans each and every day.
               He fought for Montana farmers and ranchers who feed our 
             Nation. But he also helped bring a dry-land farmer from 
             Big Sandy, MT, to the Senate. Max, I cannot tell you how 
             much you have meant to me as a friend, as a partner, as a 
             mentor. I have lost track of how many meetings and rallies 
             we have attended together across our State. But I do know 
             that at each one you have had my back.
               So when I arrived in the Senate in 2007, it was because 
             of you that a guy with seven fingers and a flat-top 
             haircut quickly figured how to get from his office to the 
             Senate floor. It is because of you that I had a model for 
             working across the aisle to pass thoughtful, responsible 
             legislation. It is because of you that I always know that 
             I have a friend to turn to when I need advice; that is, 
             because along with your tremendous staff, you have always 
             put Montana first. You have built the Montana Democratic 
             Party into a beacon of common sense, freedom, and 
             opportunity in the West. Our party is stronger because of 
             you and your dedication to our State.
               After retiring from the Senate in 1976, Mike Mansfield 
             became the Ambassador to Japan. Now you are posed to 
             continue following in Senator Mansfield's footsteps as 
             Ambassador to China. I know that you will continue to 
             serve Montana, even as you serve our Nation's interests 
             overseas. I wish you the best. While you are gone, I will 
             keep up your fight for Montana, particularly the Montanans 
             who need someone to fight for them. Montanans like Les 
             Skramstad. Les was a longtime Libby resident. For years, 
             he saw politicians come to Libby with a promise to help. 
             That help never arrived.
               When Max came to Libby, Les told him he would be 
             watching. Les passed away in 2007 before Libby began 
             getting its help. But Max keeps Les' photo close because 
             in Montana a promise to help is a promise to keep. That is 
             the Montana way. That is the Max Baucus way.
               Max, it has been an honor to serve with you. It is an 
             honor to call you friend. The Senate will be a lesser body 
             without you. I wish you Godspeed and good luck. This is an 
             incredibly important job. I know you are more than up to 
             that task. Thank you for your service to this Senate and 
             to Montana and to this country.

               Mr. MENENDEZ. I know we are shortly going to be voting 
             on, among other issues, the nomination of Senator Max 
             Baucus to be the next U.S. Ambassador to China. I would 
             expect that he would have a unanimous, if not nearly 
             unanimous, vote in the Senate.
               I said in the Foreign Relations Committee this week that 
             clearly one of the biggest challenges and the biggest 
             opportunities before U.S. foreign policy today is getting 
             the relationship between the United States and China--in 
             the context of our rebalance to the Asia-Pacific--right. I 
             can think of few more able or qualified at this important 
             moment in history than our friend and colleague, the 
             Senator from Montana, to help provide advice and guidance 
             to the President and to Congress about how to get that 
             relationship right.
               He is an expert on trade issues. He understands what we 
             face in the coming years as China's economy continues to 
             grow. He is fully aware of the fact that we have had U.S. 
             exports to China that have increased by almost $40 billion 
             in the past 4 years alone, creating and sustaining 
             millions of U.S. jobs in sectors across the board--
             automobiles, power generation, machinery, aircraft, and 
             other vital industrial sectors. His trade missions to 
             China, since he has been the chairman of the Finance 
             Committee, have given him the perspective he needs to deal 
             with the realities of our policy options.
               From the hearing he clearly understands that through the 
             rest of the 21st century and beyond, much of the 
             strategic, political, and economic future of the world is 
             likely to be shaped by decisions made by Washington, 
             Beijing, and the capitals of Asia over the next 4 to 5 
             years. How we get that rebalance right is incredibly 
             important, and the Ambassador to China is equally 
             important in that regard.
               Finally, trade is not the only issue as it relates to 
             China. Our collective security, having China pursue a 
             rules-based system, is extremely important, as well as 
             what happens in the South China Sea--all of the issues 
             Senator Baucus addressed in his nomination hearing with 
             great ability, insight, and a willingness to take them on.
               As the very final point, human rights is an incredibly 
             important issue as it relates to China. I want to read 
             briefly from the transcript where he was asked about the 
             question of human rights. He described a moment as a 
             Senator in which he raised the issue with then-President 
             Jiang Zemin.
               Senator Baucus said:

               He [the President of China] said I did not know what I 
             was talking about, basically. But then I went to Tibet, 
             went to Lhasa and raised the same point there. And sure 
             enough, within about 2 or 3 weeks, this person was 
             released. ...
               Protection of human rights is the bedrock. It is the 
             underpinning of American and world society. ... People 
             look to America, look to America to lead on so many 
             issues, including the protection of human rights, 
             religious freedoms, freedom of the press, all the rights 
             that are enumerated in the universal declaration. It is 
             what most progress springs from.
               And the answer is yes, Senator [Cardin]. You have my 
             commitment [on human rights].

               I think the totality of trade, currency manipulation, 
             security, human rights, and the answers that he gave in 
             his hearing, clearly show manifestly that he is very 
             capable of being the next Ambassador.
               I urge a unanimous vote in the Senate, and I yield the 
             floor.

               Mr. REED. First let me add my accolades to those of the 
             chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about 
             Senator Baucus. He is superbly prepared to be our next 
             Ambassador to China. He is a friend and colleague. The 
             President chose wisely, and I anticipate his confirmation. 
             ...

               Mr. REID. Madam President, after having consulted with 
             the Republican leader, I now ask unanimous consent to move 
             to executive session to consider Calendar No. 629, the 
             nomination of our friend Max Baucus to be Ambassador to 
             China; further, I ask that all time be yielded back, with 
             all of the provisions under the previous order remaining 
             in effect.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
               Without objection, it is so ordered.
               Under the previous order, the Senate will proceed to 
             executive session to consider the following nomination, 
             which the clerk will report.
               The legislative clerk read the nomination of Max Sieben 
             Baucus, of Montana, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and 
             Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the 
             People's Republic of China.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate 
             advise and consent to the nomination of Max Sieben Baucus, 
             of Montana, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and 
             Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the 
             People's Republic of China?

               Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? 
             There appears to be a sufficient second. There is a 
             sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll.
               The legislative clerk called the roll.
               The result was announced--yeas 96, nays 0.
               The nomination was confirmed.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the 
             President will be immediately notified of the Senate's 
             action.

               Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I am pleased that my 
             colleague and very dear friend Max Baucus was confirmed by 
             this body the way he was. He will make a fine Ambassador 
             to China. We all know what an honorable, decent man he is. 
             We all know of his abilities. We all know he has run a 
             very tough committee, a very important committee, and has 
             done a terrific job in doing so.
               All I can say is I rise to wish my good friend Senator 
             Max Baucus good luck as he departs to serve as the next 
             U.S. Ambassador to China.
               We are going to miss Max. I do not think it is fair to 
             this body, but, nevertheless, I think it is fair to our 
             country because Max will make a great Ambassador. Senator 
             Baucus first came to the Senate in 1978 and has the 
             distinction of being Montana's longest serving Senator. 
             So, as you can see, I have served with Senator Baucus for 
             a long time--longer than the two of us would like to admit 
             sometimes. Over the years I have come to respect his 
             commitment both to his constituents and to his principles. 
             Having worked side by side with him on the Senate Finance 
             Committee, I know a lot about his constituents and his 
             principles. He raises his constituents constantly and his 
             principles I do not think ever wavered.
               If you want to understand my friend Max Baucus' 
             priorities, take a look at the sign on his Senate office 
             desk. Like Max, it is to the point and unequivocal. The 
             sign says: ``Montana comes first.'' Plain and simple, not 
             much nuance, the language is pretty declarative.
               That is Max Baucus. In his long and distinguished Senate 
             career, he always put the people of Montana first.
               Both Senator Baucus and I are westerners, and westerners 
             expect a certain amount of independence in their Senators. 
             They expect us to work across the aisle and attempt to 
             solve problems and work together.
               Of course, we Republicans tend to view that problem 
             solving as less government and Democrats tend to view that 
             problem solving as more government. That is not universal, 
             but that is where the two sides usually come down. That 
             being the case, Max and I have often found ourselves on 
             different sides of some of these issues. However, we share 
             the desire to solve problems and, as Max's sign says it, 
             to put our constituents' interests first. Senator Baucus 
             has always understood that notion very well, and I am here 
             to declare that to everybody who listens.
               As a result, his disposition--particularly as chairman 
             of the Finance Committee--has been to try to find a way to 
             a bipartisan yes rather than a partisan no. I have always 
             respected him for that.
               Over the last few years, as I have served alongside Max 
             as the ranking member of the Finance Committee, I have 
             greatly appreciated his willingness to put partisan 
             differences aside for the greater good of all.
               One adjective you could use to describe Senator Baucus 
             is one that was used by his predecessor as chairman of the 
             Finance Committee, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. The 
             term I am thinking of is ``indefatigable.''
               Whether it was preparing for and running a marathon, 
             walking across the wide expanse of his home State, or 
             working at one of the many jobs he regularly undertook 
             back home on recess visits, Max has been indefatigable.
               He has been a tireless legislator. Just ask his staff. 
             They will affirm that fact. As a Senator, he was always 
             working. I have no doubt he will do the same as our 
             Nation's Ambassador to China, arguably the most important 
             diplomatic post in the world today.
               As we saw today, the vote on his confirmation was not 
             even close. That is because all of his colleagues know 
             that Max Baucus is a committed public servant who will 
             serve the American people with competence, dignity, and a 
             tireless commitment to our Nation and its interests.
               I have to say I feel personally about this nominee and 
             about this nomination. I like Max very much. Having served 
             with him on the Senate Finance Committee, he has always 
             tried to be fair. He has always tried to consider the 
             other's point of view. He has always tried to consider 
             different ways of solving problems, and he has worked to 
             do so. That is about all we can ask from our colleagues on 
             the other side--either Democrats or Republicans.
               I just want to at this time wish Senator Baucus and his 
             lovely wife Melodee and, of course, his family the best of 
             luck in this and all future endeavors.
               As Max departs the Senate, Senator Baucus leaves behind 
             a great legacy and very big shoes to fill. So at this 
             particular point, I hesitate to say farewell to my friend 
             Max Baucus, but I only say farewell knowing that he is 
             going to go on to a very important job for our country, 
             where I think he will do a very good job.
               He will have my support as he serves over there, and 
             let's just hope that we on the Finance Committee can do a 
             better job or at least an equivalent job to what Max has 
             done to keep these very important issues on the most 
             important committee of the Congress moving along.
               I have nothing but respect for Max. I appreciate him 
             very much. I am his friend, and I intend to continue this 
             friendship as long as we both live.
               With that, I congratulate Senator Baucus. I am proud of 
             the Senator, and I intend to support him while he is there 
             as well.
               I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.

               Mr. CARPER. Madam President, the Chinese New Year began, 
             as you probably know, just a couple days ago. I do not 
             know a lot of words in Chinese, but among the words I have 
             learned is how to say ``Happy New Year.'' It is a new year 
             in China. It is a new year for Chinese Americans in this 
             country as well. I think the way we say ``Happy New Year'' 
             is ``Gong Xi Fa Cai.'' So I say that to my friend.
               When word came out that Max had been nominated by the 
             President for this role, I say to our friend from Utah, I 
             ran into Max. He was about to go into an elevator, I think 
             in the Hart Building, and I said, ``I know the President 
             has nominated you for this, but you can't leave. We need 
             your leadership on tax reform. We need your leadership on 
             an SGR fix and doctors and all these other issues--trade 
             policy. You can't leave now.''
               He said, ``Well, the President has nominated me.''
               I said, ``Well, I am going to put a hold on your 
             nomination.''
               He was about to get in the elevator and go away, and he 
             put his head back out and said, ``Oh no, you are not.''
               I was tempted. I was tempted because there is a lot he 
             leaves. Actually, I think he leaves at a time when this 
             place is working better. I am encouraged by that. Frankly, 
             I am encouraged by the relationship the Senator has 
             kindled with Senator Hatch. I am encouraged by the 
             relationship the Senator has kindled with our friend Dave 
             Camp from Michigan over in the House as chairman of the 
             Ways and Means Committee. Max has set an example for the 
             rest of us.
               It is ironic the chairman of the committee and the 
             ranking member are sitting here across the aisle from each 
             other, but the two of them, in terms of providing personal 
             examples--the kind of leadership we need; do as I do, not 
             as I say--both of them are terrific at reaching across the 
             aisle, doing what the people sent us to do: find 
             principled compromises, get things done.
               I wish to mention--let me just ask, and he can maybe nod 
             his head--my recollection is, when we took up the issue of 
             whether there should be a Medicare prescription drug 
             program that was supported initially by Senator Kennedy 
             and by President George W. Bush, I think in the end the 
             version that prevailed was the version preferred by 
             President Bush.
               My recollection is that Senator Baucus may have gone 
             across the aisle and supported that version of the bill 
             and took me and probably another 10 or so Democrats with 
             him--not an easy thing to do.
               I remember going back to Delaware--I have told him this 
             story before--I went back to Delaware and held a number of 
             townhall meetings, if you will, on that issue and got 
             excoriated, eviscerated by mostly Democrats. They would 
             come and say: How could you do this? How could you support 
             that prescription drug program, the Medicare Part D 
             Program.
               I explained I thought it was a principled compromise. I 
             thought it would work. A year later, it has an 85 percent 
             approval rating by the people who use it. For 6 or 7 
             straight years--it still has an 85 percent approval 
             rating, a little higher than ours. If you look at how we 
             are doing in terms of anticipated costs, it is 7 years 
             under budget.
               When the time came to try to find a compromise on 
             comprehensive health care reform, I remember the Senator 
             did not just work with three or four Republican colleagues 
             on the Finance Committee--Senator Grassley, Senator Snowe, 
             Senator Enzi. The Senator did not work with them for a 
             couple of days to try a find a principled compromise, 
             Senator Baucus worked with them for weeks--I think 
             months--to try to do that. Ultimately, the Senator was 
             unsuccessful. But the Senator led us through a difficult 
             markup in committee and on the floor. I know there are 
             reservations in that law that we should tweak and change 
             and make it better. But I think in the end, the Senator's 
             leadership will be vindicated by a lot of Americans, just 
             like we did with the Medicare prescription drug program. 
             Obviously, that was the right thing to do. Thank you for 
             the leadership you provided.
               On a personal level, I would say, as Senator Hatch has 
             said, this is a personal loss to me, and I know to many 
             Democrats and Republicans. But the Senator leaves behind a 
             wonderful legacy. You leave behind a whole lot of people, 
             and they all have their resumes--no, not really. One or 
             two of them may have. But you have a reputation as 
             surrounding yourself with really good people. I sought to 
             do that. I kind of learned from you and Senator Hatch, but 
             I have always sought to surround myself by people smarter 
             than me. My wife always says that it is not hard to find 
             them.
               You have done a great job surrounding yourself with 
             terrific people. They are here today sitting behind you, 
             over in the Republican side, up in the galleries--a lot of 
             love here. I hope you feel it from all of us.
               In the Navy when people pull up their anchor and prepare 
             to sail off into the sunset or the sunrise, whatever the 
             case may be, we always like to say: Fair winds and a 
             following sea. That is what I wish to you and to Mel. We 
             are going to miss you here, but we are really going to 
             miss her. We hope we will have an opportunity to see you 
             again and to work with you again.
               We hope the same, that we will have an opportunity to 
             see Mel. We think the world of her. Good luck to both of 
             you. May God bless you.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

               Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I just want to make a brief 
             statement before Senator Baucus speaks and thank him for 
             his service in the Senate, thank him for representing 
             Montana, and accepting some of the toughest assignments in 
             the Senate. We have a similarity in our background. We 
             were both inspired to this position by Senators who served 
             before us; in his case, Senator Mansfield, who was an 
             extraordinary leader in the Senate and an extraordinary 
             man when you consider his contribution to our country. He 
             served in two world wars, if I am not mistaken, perhaps in 
             three different branches of the military. It was just an 
             exceptional life of public service which ended with his 
             ambassadorship to Japan.
               Now, Senator Baucus, who was inspired to public life by 
             Senator Mansfield and followed in his footsteps in 
             representing the State of Montana, serving in one of the 
             highest leadership spots in the Senate, is now off to an 
             ambassadorship, which, when you consider the ebb and flow 
             of history, is singularly the most important ambassadorial 
             assignment which the United States of America can make.
               Today, this overwhelming bipartisan vote in the Senate 
             is a fitting tribute to Senator Max Baucus for his 
             service, his friendship, and his continued dedication to 
             be a servant of our Nation. I wish you and Mel the very 
             best in this new assignment. We hope to get a chance to 
             come to see you, and also, more important, to work with 
             you, to make sure that our relationship with China remains 
             strong for decades to come.
               Thank you, Max, for being such a great colleague and a 
             friend.

               Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to my colleague, Max Baucus. Senator Baucus has been a 
             leader in the areas of tax, trade, health, agriculture, 
             and the environment. I have served with him on the Finance 
             Committee and the Agriculture Committee and have enjoyed 
             working with him and learning from him. On the Finance 
             Committee, Senator Baucus worked to improve the health 
             care of all Americans, most notably with the passage of 
             the Affordable Care Act. It should also be noted, one of 
             his last acts as a Senator today was to introduce a 
             bipartisan and bicameral agreement on Medicare physician 
             payment reform. On the Agriculture Committee, he was a 
             passionate advocate for farmers. Max leaves a legacy he 
             should be proud of. I wish him well in China and thank him 
             for his continued service.

               Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I rise today to 
             congratulate Senator Max Baucus for his confirmation as 
             Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. I am 
             grateful to have had the opportunity to serve with him for 
             several years in the Senate and on the Finance Committee, 
             which he chairs.
               Max's entire life has been dedicated to public service. 
             He was a member of the Montana House early in his career, 
             before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
             and then the Senate in 1978. Few people have served as 
             long in the Senate as Max and led such an illustrious 
             career here. Max has been behind many landmark pieces of 
             legislation that will benefit people's lives and the 
             country for years to come. As chairman of the Finance 
             Committee, he has influenced so many issues that have an 
             impact on American families every day, from tax policy to 
             pensions, health care, and education.
               What is more, I have seen first hand Max's unique desire 
             to work with people across the political spectrum. Max's 
             commonsense approach and collegial nature, learned from 
             growing up on a ranch in Montana, has played a significant 
             role in his ability to get things done. I hope that all 
             Senators will learn from his example. In fact, I believe 
             it is what we must do to best serve the people who elected 
             us.
               On behalf of all Floridians, I want to thank Max for 
             serving his country in the Senate for more than three 
             decades. I wish him well as he follows in the footsteps of 
             his mentor, Senator Mike Mansfield, in becoming Ambassador 
             to the People's Republic of China.

               Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, Max Baucus has never been 
             afraid of the long haul. As the son of Montana ranchers, 
             he knows the meaning of a long day's work. Before his 1996 
             election, he walked the length of Montana, more than 800 
             miles. In 2003, well past his 60th birthday, he ran a 50-
             mile ultramarathon.
               For the last three decades, I have had the privilege of 
             running a different sort of marathon with Max. We entered 
             the Senate together after the election of 1978, and have 
             served together since then. Today we mark the end of that 
             marathon, as Senator Baucus prepares to become Ambassador 
             Baucus and assume one of our Nation's most important 
             diplomatic posts as Ambassador to the People's Republic of 
             China.
               As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus 
             has played a central role in some of the most important 
             legislative accomplishments of recent decades. He has 
             helped bring health care coverage to millions of Americans 
             by working toward establishment of the Children's Health 
             Insurance Program and the Affordable Care Act. At the same 
             time, he was worked tirelessly on issues of major 
             importance to Montana, fighting to support his State's 
             agriculture, and to support important educational and 
             economic development initiatives.
               He moves from this important role to another. Our 
             relationship with China is more important than ever. 
             Decisions made today will affect that relationship for 
             decades to come. We are seeking to cement a positive 
             relationship, one in which China joins with our friends 
             and allies in the Asia-Pacific region to support 
             collective security and economic growth, and fosters 
             stability through adhering to international norms. As the 
             representative of the American people in Beijing, Max will 
             be instrumental in getting and keeping the United States-
             China relationship on a positive footing. He will be in a 
             crucial position to help open Chinese markets to American 
             goods.
               I will miss Max as a friend and a colleague, but I am 
             grateful for his willingness to take on this job, to 
             continue serving his Nation in a new and challenging 
             capacity.

               Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, before he leaves the floor, 
             I would like to make a few comments about Senator Baucus.
               Our part of the world has sent to the Senate some of our 
             most distinguished and thoughtful Members. The great 
             Pacific Northwest sent Wayne Morse from my home State to 
             the Senate and Warren Magnuson and Scoop Jackson of 
             Washington State. I note that Senator Cantwell is here. 
             Frank Church of Idaho was sent to Washington, and, of 
             course, Mike Mansfield, Senator Baucus' mentor and pioneer 
             in terms of promoting closer relations between our country 
             and Asia. It is very fitting that this afternoon Max 
             Baucus joins that very special group of Senators from our 
             part of the United States.
               Second, I wish to caution Senators on one point, and the 
             distinguished Senator from Utah and I have had a little 
             bit of a laugh about this. Max is exceptionally friendly, 
             and he always tells Senators: Our paths are going to cross 
             again. I look forward to working with you in the days 
             ahead. Senator Hatch and I just want to say to everyone 
             here in the Senate: However close you are to Senator 
             Baucus, that doesn't mean every Senator can insist that 
             Max come back from China to talk about the latest twist in 
             the debate about currency manipulation or some other 
             issue.
               The last point I want to mention is a personal one. When 
             you are here in the Senate for more than three decades, 
             you deal with scores of bills and amendments, and you talk 
             about coalitions that were built to pass measures that 
             needed to be passed, and from time to time you have to 
             build a coalition to stop something that shouldn't be 
             passed. But what I want to do--out of those thousands of 
             bills and thousands of amendments--is talk about a special 
             Baucus commitment that was especially important to me; 
             that is, the needs of senior citizens.
               Max Baucus had some particularly celebrated wins in the 
             fight for seniors--something in which the Presiding 
             Officer of the Senate is very involved. The reality is 
             that the person who did more to stop the privatization of 
             Social Security here on the floor of the Senate was Max 
             Baucus. He was the one who led the coalition. He reached 
             out to Senators on both sides and said, ``Look, of course 
             we need to save more for private retirement savings, but 
             we are going to do that on top of Social Security, not as 
             a replacement for Social Security.'' So Senator Baucus was 
             there building that coalition, making the case for why 
             this special program, this intergenerational program has 
             been so important for our country.
               What I remember best about Senator Baucus and seniors, 
             though, is when the Finance Committee blew the whistle on 
             some of these ripoffs in supplements sold to older people, 
             and eventually these supplements really became the 
             delivery system for Medicare as we know it in much of the 
             country. Senator Cantwell and I, of course, know of the 
             Medicare Advantage Program.
               We would have hearings in the Finance Committee where we 
             would hear about efforts in the private sector to sell 
             health insurance to seniors that was not worth the paper 
             on which it was written. I remember--kind of bringing my 
             Gray Panther roots into the cause--talking to Max about 
             this change and that change, and it would get pretty dense 
             pretty quickly. Max just said, ``This is wrong to rip off 
             senior citizens this way.'' We were able to get those 
             changes. The consumer protections Max Baucus locked into 
             the law for the Nation's vulnerable seniors essentially 
             remain the protections of today that are used as the model 
             for senior rights.
               Senator Cantwell and I, since we are both on the 
             committee, also know that in the budget discussions, when 
             it came time for hard choices, Max always made it a 
             priority to stand up for what are known as the dual 
             eligibles--the seniors who are the most vulnerable, the 
             seniors who don't have political action committees and 
             don't have clout and can't participate in all of what we 
             normally think of as today's politics, from fundraising to 
             all of the grassroots work.
               I will close by saying that when you see somebody week 
             in and week out stand for the most vulnerable people in 
             society, such as those dual eligibles, you learn a lot 
             about what a person feels strongly about, what values are 
             important to them. So I want to close by saying that when 
             we talk about the Senators from our part of the world--and 
             Senator Cantwell remembers so well the legendary Warren 
             Magnuson and Scoop Jackson and Frank Church, who, by the 
             way, was chair of the Senate Select Committee on Aging. I 
             met him for the first time when I was director of the Gray 
             Panthers and had a full head of hair and good looks. Max 
             was always on those issues, year after year.
               I hope today, as we reflect on his contributions and 
             certainly all the bills and amendments he offered in the 
             Senate Finance Committee, people will also remember that 
             there is a reason Max belongs with those distinguished 
             Senators I mentioned from the Pacific Northwest. It is 
             because he had a heart for people, he had a heart for 
             seniors, and he had the values that represent the best in 
             public service.
               With that, Madam President, I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.

               Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I too come to the floor 
             to say goodbye to our colleague from Montana and wish him 
             well in his new endeavor as Ambassador to China--something 
             the Pacific Northwest cares dearly about. So I know we 
             will be working with him in his new capacity, but it 
             really is a very historic moment for all of us and 
             certainly for those of us in the Pacific Northwest.
               I will never forget Max and I riding back to our offices 
             on the subway once and talking about the Inland Empire. I 
             think people thought we were making something up, but that 
             is how we refer to our part of the country and the 
             interior, which is this huge economy that is built on 
             agriculture, built on trade, built on natural resources 
             that we hold so dear and for which we fight.
               To come to the Senate and to sit in the seat Scoop 
             Jackson once held and think about how you will have the 
             wherewithal and ability to remember all of what Scoop and 
             Maggie and everybody fought for and to know the 
             incarnation of that is right there in Max Baucus, the 
             person who worked with them, who saw them, and who then 
             carried that torch on these important policy issues, to 
             me, is so important to recognize today because he really 
             is a legislator in the mold of Magnuson and Jackson.
               I thank Max for one thing in particular; that is, doing 
             deals. Around here people sometimes criticize doing deals. 
             But you know what? The art of compromise and moving our 
             country forward requires that, and Max became a model 
             dealmaker in the context of these important policies on 
             which we have worked, whether the modernization of the 
             trade legislation for dislocated workers and expanding 
             that program and making it more robust because it needed 
             to be modernized or whether some of the changes we have 
             made to CHIP, because I can tell you he certainly helped 
             us in Washington State in making sure we had our fair 
             share as regards the Children's Health Insurance Program.
               Just speaking about CHIP in general, I can't say enough 
             about CHIP as a program. When you get discouraged around 
             here about what we are actually getting done or what 
             problems we are solving, if you think of nothing else but 
             CHIP--just the Children's Health Insurance Program--and 
             literally giving health insurance to millions of children 
             across America who wouldn't automatically get health 
             insurance, this job is worth it right here and now. So I 
             thank Max for that.
               Certainly on the Affordable Care Act I have often said 
             that Max applied his marathon skills to the patience of 
             Job in actually crafting that legislation. I think we 
             probably worked every day for 2 years in committee to make 
             that legislation a reality, and it took a lot of patience. 
             Many times late at night I would have lost my patience 
             with the process and our colleagues, but Max didn't, and 
             the end result is that this country is moving forward on a 
             major health care policy that I know 30 or 40 years from 
             now will be in the same category as our other key programs 
             such as Social Security and Medicare, as a foundation and 
             as a base of what we are doing to make sure people have 
             affordable health care in this country.
               Max, I thank you for the staff you hired as well because 
             in the Finance Committee, while we didn't always agree on 
             every single policy, they also came to the table ready to 
             make things happen, and I certainly appreciate that.
               To my colleagues, I feel as though we really are losing 
             a piece of our institution today, somebody who really 
             understood the issues that I care about in the Pacific 
             Northwest, and somebody who really knew how to make things 
             happen. I know our path forward is a new course on the 
             Finance Committee, but I hope we will continue in the way 
             that Max brought forth issues because in the end it is 
             about improving the lives of the people we represent, and 
             that means we are not always going to agree, but we are 
             going to have to put ideas on the table and we are going 
             to have to get them passed into law.
               So, Max, as you go across the big Pacific, I know you 
             will remember us, but we will be looking to you too 
             because there is a lot we have to get done. I know that as 
             you are running around Beijing, you will have that little 
             app they now have that shows the level of pollution in 
             Beijing that comes right off the U.S. Embassy, and you 
             will be talking to the Chinese about how we have to work 
             together on a clean energy strategy, and we will applaud 
             you for that. But don't forget all of us here because 
             there is a lot of work to be done. We are very proud to 
             call you a former colleague and a key leader in the 
             history of the Inland Empire. Thank you very much, Max.
                                           Wednesday, December 10, 2014
                        ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
               Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to 
             retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that 
             Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December 
             23, 2014.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.

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