[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
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
S. Doc. 113-40
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Max Baucus
United States Congressman
1975-1978
United States Senator
1978-2014
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
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.
[all]