Max Baucus

Max Sieben Baucus, a Democrat, has been a US Senator from Montana since 1979.

Iraq War
Baucus voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq in Oct. 2002.

On January 11, 2007, Sen. Baucus, who voted in 2002 for the resolution authorizing President Bush to invade Iraq, stated his interest for a bill requiring congressional authority for President Bush to raise troop levels in Iraq, saying, "I’m very interested in it [Kennedy's bill]...It raises potential constitutional questions, the degree to which Congress can determine individual troop strength."

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Oil Record
Max Baucus has voted in favor of big oil companies on 67% of important oil-related bills, according to Oil Change International. These bills include Iraq War funding, climate change studies, clean energy, and oil import reductions. See below for oil money in politics.

Schedule posting
Sen. Baucus posts his daily schedule online, available here.

Abramoff PAC Money
On December 20, 2005 Baucus' office announced that he was returning $18,892 in contributions that his office has found to be connected to indicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

2002 Election Ad
The 2002, Montana elections gained a spot on the national radar when Baucus' opponent, Montana state senator Mike Taylor, accused Baucus of having implied that Taylor was a gay hairdresser in a campaign ad. The ad alleged that Taylor had embezzled funds from the cosmetology school he once owned while showing footage from the early '80s of Taylor massaging another man's face while wearing a tight suit with an open shirt. The commercial was featured on the November 4, 2002 episode of Comedy Central's The Daily Show along with interviews with the major third-party candidates for Baucus' seat. Taylor briefly dropped out of the race before returning in a last ditch bid to save face. Baucus won with 63% of the vote.

Fund raising as Committee Chairman
In April 1007, Baucus and House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) created a joint Political Action Committee, after setting new quarterly fund raising records in the first quarter of 2007.

Budget
In early 2007, the House cut the budget for the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program as part of the FY2007 continuing resolution. $3.1 billion, which had previously been approved, was cut, leaving only $2.5 billion for the program. On February 7, Sen. Baucus joined twenty-five Republicans in drafting a letter to Senate leaders arguing that the BRAC cut would obstruct troop movements and hurt local economies in military communities. Baucus was particularly concerned that the lost BRAC funds would have benefitted a transition program for the Montana National Guard.

Background
Baucus was born December 11, 1941 in Helena, Montana, and graduated from Helena High School in 1959. He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from Stanford University.

He began law practice in Missoula, Montana, in 1971, and then served as both Executive Director and Committee Coordinator for Montana's 1972 Constitutional Convention. In 1973, Baucus was elected to the Montana State Legislature. He served as a state representative from Missoula until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974. He was re-elected in 1976. Baucus was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 where he has remained until present.

Senate Career
Baucus is one of the most moderate members of his party, frequently breaking with them on the issues of taxes, the environment, and gun politics.

Baucus voted in favor of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and was at President Bush's side as he signed it. He has fairly consistently voted against repealing the portions of that bill and more recent tax cut bills that benefit upper income taxpayers.

While Baucus voted in favor of the Brady Bill and the first ban on assualt weapons, he has since switched positions on gun control, opposing most new gun control laws. In 1999 he was the one Democrat to vote against an amendment by Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that sought to "regulate the sale of firearms at gunshows."

On other issues Baucus is more in tune with the mainstream of his party. He is staunchly pro-choice and regularly receives 100% ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America and other reproductive rights advocacy groups. He opposes the United States embargo against Cuba and the restrictions on travel there. He was one of only 26 senators to vote against the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. And despite his mixed record on environmental issues, Baucus has long opposed opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling.

2008 superdelegate
Obama's campaign gave $9,000 to Baucus.

Money in politics
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Oil Money in Politics
Max Baucus has received $87,100 in oil contributions during the 110th congress. $46,500 of those dollars were from industry PACS. In total, Baucus has accepted $195,700 from oil companies since 2000 which makes him one of the top recipients of oil money in the United States Senate. In addition to oil money, Baucus has received $82,900 in coal contributions during the 110th congress. $68,300 of those dollars were from industry PACS. See above for oil and energy voting record.

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
 * Subcommittee on Domestic &amp; Foreign Marketing, Inspection, &amp; Plant &amp; Animal Health - Chairman
 * Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
 * Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit
 * Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
 * Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection
 * Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health
 * Senate Committee on Finance - Chairman

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * Joint Committee on Taxation
 * Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
 * Subcommittee on Marketing Inspection and Production Promotion - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Production and Price Competitiveness
 * Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
 * Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management
 * Senate Committee on Finance - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
 * Subcommittee on International Trade

External resources

 * Official website
 * "Sentator's wife charged with assault" (CNN.com)
 * "Senator's Wife Reaches Deal with Prosecutors (abc7dc.com)
 * Max Baucus On the Issues.
 * See how you compare to Max Baucus
 * Follow the Oil Money-Senate
 * Vote Tracker
 * Follow the Coal Money- Senate
 * Appalachian Voices

External articles

 * Josh Frank, "The Slick Swindler. Senator Max Baucus, Thanks," CounterPunch, December 20/21, 2003.
 * Matthew Yglesias, "Bad Max. It's a tempting story line that Sen. Max Baucus has to cast all those pro-Bush votes because of pressure back home in Montana. It's just not true," The American Prospect, February 1, 2004.
 * Bob Brigham, "MT-Sen: Max Baucus Runs from Democratic Party," Swing State Project, September 20, 2005.
 * Armando, "A Baucus Betrayal," Daily Kos, September 20, 2005.
 * "Burns' Ex-CoS Raises $ For Baucus," Hotline On Call (National Journal), October 11, 2005. re Senator Conrad Burns' ex-Chief of Staff Leo Giacometto
 * Josh Frank, "NASCAR Sleeze. The Merger of Sen. Max Baucus and Leo Giacometto," CounterPunch, November 9, 2005.
 * Noelle Straub, "Baucus, Tester explain war votes," Billings Gazette (Montana), May 18, 2007.
 * Matt Singer, "Do Jon and Max Really Think Harry Reid and Russ Feingold Dislike the Troops?" Left in the West, May 18, 2007.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * "The Last Best Place"
 * Left in the West
 * Touchstone 033
 * Billings Blog
 * NewWest.net -- A Refreshing, new kind of journalism.