Max Baucus
Senior Senator from Montana
Incumbent
Assumed office  December 15, 1978 Serving with Jon Tester
Preceded by	Paul G. Hatfield
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana's 1st district
In office January 3, 1975 – December 15, 1978
Preceded by	Richard Shoup
Succeeded by	John Patrick Williams
Born	December 11, 1941 (1941-12-11) (age 66) Helena, Montana
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Wanda Minge
Alma mater	Stanford University
Religion	United Church of Christ
Website	Max Baucus, Senator From Montana

Max Sieben Baucus (born December 11, 1941) is the senior United States Senator from Montana and is a member of the Democratic Party. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an Organic farmer and junior U Paul Gerhart Hatfield, ( April 29, 1928 &ndash July 3, 2000) was an American Politician and a member of the Democratic The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern From 1913 to 1993 Montana had two Congressional districts From 1913 to 1919 those seats were elected state-wide At-large on a general ticket Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Richard Gardner (Dick Shoup ( November 29, 1923 &ndash November 25, 1995) was a U John Patrick "Pat" Williams (b October 30, 1937, Helena Montana) is a former Democratic member of the United States House Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Helena (ˈhɛlɨnə is the Capital city of the US state of Montana and the County seat of Lewis and Clark County The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Baucus is currently chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Finance and 10th longest-serving current Senator. The US Senate Committee on Finance (or less formally Senate Finance Committee) is a Standing committee of the United States Senate.

Personal life

Baucus was born Max Sieben Enke in Helena, Montana to Jean Sheriff and Canadian-born Stephen Enke, Ph.D., an economist and demographer. Helena (ˈhɛlɨnə is the Capital city of the US state of Montana and the County seat of Lewis and Clark County "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation. ^[1] Baucus graduated from Helena High School in 1959. He is an alumnus of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and a law degree from Stanford University. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (also known as SΑΕ) is a secret letter social college fraternity Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in He married Wanda Minge in 1983, and has one son, Zeno, from his previous marriage to journalist Ann Geracimos.

He began law practice in Missoula, Montana, in 1971. He was Executive Director and Committee Coordinator for Montana's 1972 Constitutional Convention.

He has completed a 50-mile ultramarathon and has crewed for female winner and fellow Montana native Nikki Kimball at the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run, which he hopes to run in 2009. An ultramarathon (also called ultra distance) is any sporting event involving Running longer than the traditional Marathon length of 42 Nikki Kimball is an American distance runner specializing in the Ultramarathon. The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100, is a 100 mile long (161 km Ultramarathon that takes place on trails in California's ^[2]

Early political career

In 1973, Baucus was elected to the Montana State Legislature. The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U He was a state representative from Missoula until his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1974. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. He was re-elected in 1976. Baucus was elected to the U. S. Senate on November 7, 1978 for the term beginning January 3, 1979, but was subsequently appointed to the seat by Montana's Democratic Governor Thomas Lee Judge on December 15, 1978 to fill the brief vacancy created by Senator Paul G. Hatfield's resignation. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Thomas Lee Judge ( October 12 1934 - September 8 2006) was an American politician Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Paul Gerhart Hatfield, ( April 29, 1928 &ndash July 3, 2000) was an American Politician and a member of the Democratic He has served consecutively ever since.

United States Senate

Sen. Baucus along with Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), left, entertain the media after a meeting at the White House with President Bill Clinton. Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley (born September 17 1933) is the senior United States Senator from Iowa. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Rep. E. Clay Shaw (R-FL) in background. Eugene Clay Shaw Jr (born April 19 1939) is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives

Baucus is the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, which he last chaired from 2001 to 2003. The US Senate Committee on Finance (or less formally Senate Finance Committee) is a Standing committee of the United States Senate. He is also a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Baucus is a moderate member of the Democratic Party, frequently breaking with them on the issues of taxes, the environment, and gun control. In Politics and Religion, a moderate is an individual who holds an intermediate position between two viewpoints neither to be extreme or radical by those applying Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership use and regulation of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through Baucus voted for the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and stood by President George W. Bush's side as he signed the bill. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (, June 7[[ 001]] was a sweeping piece of Tax legislation in the United States. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. He has usually voted against repealing the portions of that bill and more recent tax cut bills that benefit upper income taxpayers. Baucus voted in favor of the Brady Bill and the first ban on semi-automatic firearms in exchange for the appointment of a Montana lawyer to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but is otherwise opposed to most new gun control laws. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1983( codified at, also known as the Brady Bill, passed as by the United States Congress, signed into law by President The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts In 1999, he was the only Democrat to vote against an amendment by Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that sought to "regulate the sale of firearms at gunshows. Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (born January 23 1924 is an American businessman and Democratic Party Politician. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. " Baucus voted for the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, which made it harder to declare personal bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against In 2006, he voted for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag. Flags of the United States The Flag of the United States of America consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of Red (top and bottom alternating He supports the death penalty. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. On other issues, Baucus is more in the mainstream of his party. He is pro-choice and receives 100 percent ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America and other reproductive rights advocacy groups. Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-choice advocates emphasize their beliefs that having a child is a personal choice that affects a woman's body and NARAL Pro-Choice America (pronounced "NAY-ral" is a Pro-choice organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose restrictions Reproductive rights are Rights relating to reproduction and Reproductive health. He opposes the United States embargo against Cuba and the restrictions on travel there. The United States Embargo Against Cuba (described in Cuba as el bloqueo, Spanish for "the Blockade " is an economic commercial and He was one of 26 senators to vote against the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. The US Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, 28 USC Sections 1332(d 1453 and 1711-1715 expanded federal jurisdiction over many large Class-action Despite his mixed record on environmental issues, Baucus has opposed opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Baucus also favored a bill that will require online pornography sites to have a .XXX domain, together with Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)

Baucus is a strong supporter of Israel. Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer Mark Lunsford Pryor (born January 10, 1963) is a Democratic Politician in Arkansas. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. In the Senate, he is one of the largest career recipients of pro-Israel Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions, $319,348 up to 2006.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Finance (Chairman)
  • As Chairman of the full committee, Sen. The US Senate Committee on Finance (or less formally Senate Finance Committee) is a Standing committee of the United States Senate. Baucus is an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
  • Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-term Growth
  • Subcommittee on International Trade and Global Competitiveness
• Committee on Environment and Public Works
  • Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health
• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
  • Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry, and Credit
• Joint Committee on Taxation (Chairman)

Controversies

The 2002 Montana elections got national attention when Baucus' opponent, state senator Mike Taylor, accused Baucus of having implied that Taylor was gay in a campaign ad. The Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation IRS Oversight and Long-Term Growth is one of the five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Finance Members The Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade and Global Competitiveness is one of the five subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Finance Members The United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure The US Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure is one of six subcommittees of the U The US Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health is one of six subcommittees of the U The Committee of Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with Legislative oversight of all matters relating to the The US Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Domestic & Foreign Marketing Inspection & Plant & Animal Health is one of four subcommittees of the U The US Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Production and Price Competitiveness is one of four subcommittees of the U The US Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization Conservation Forestry and Credit Jurisdiction is one of five subcommittees of the U The Joint Committee on Taxation is a Committee of the US Congress established under the Internal Revenue Code at. The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. However, the ad was paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, not by the Baucus campaign. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ( DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United The ad, which alleged that Taylor had embezzled funds from the cosmetology school he once owned, showed footage from the early 1980s of Taylor massaging another man's face while wearing a tight suit with an open shirt. Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets usually financial in nature by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted Cosmetology (from Greek grc κοσμητικός kosmētikos, "skilled in adornment" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study ^[3] Taylor dropped out of the race and Baucus won with 63 percent of the vote.

In 2006, Baucus returned $18,892 in contributions from groups connected to Jack Abramoff. Jack Abramoff (born February 28 1959 is a former Lobbyist, and a businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. In the December 22, 2005, edition of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Baucus admitted campaign finance violations. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle is a daily Newspaper published in Bozeman Montana. Campaign finance refers to the means by which money is raised for election campaigns.

In February 2008, Baucus touted success in preventing a coal bed methane project that was proposed by BP Canada in British Columbia, Canada. Coalbed methane (CBM is a form of Natural gas extracted from coal beds British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[4] He claimed that this project would have had environmental impacts in Montana which is downstream from the project. It was later revealed that this project was not in fact canceled, and British Columbia Energy Minister Richard Neufeld characterized Baucus' claims by saying: "If Max Baucus says the sun is shining, the first thing you do is go out and have a look. Richard Neufeld is a Canadian politician and a member of the BC Liberal party. "^[5] This wasn't the first time that Baucus mis-reported accomplishments to the people of Montana. In 2005, he claimed to have secured funding for a runway at Malmstrom Air Force Base. Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and Census-designated place (CDP in Cascade County, Montana, United States Although he called it a "done deal" when reporting it to Montana press, the language was stripped from the bill and never became law. ^[6]

Iraq War

Baucus had voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, but has joined the Democrats in the Senate in demanding the phased withdrawal of the Levin Amendment (no firm deadline). " Iraq Resolution " and " Iraq War Resolution " are popular names for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 He voted with a majority of Democrats against the Kerry Amendment (firm deadline for withdrawal).

It was reported on August 1 2006^[7][8] that Baucus' nephew Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus (September 24, 1977–July 29, 2006) was killed in combat in Al Anbar province, Iraq, on July 29. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Anbar refer to Al Anbar Governorate Anbar (town Phillip Baucus, a 28-year-old resident of Wolf Creek, Montana, had been a member of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force^[9]. 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (3rd LAR is a light armored Battalion of the United States Marine Corps. The 1st Marine Division is the oldest largest (active duty and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps representing a combat-ready force The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division The funeral was the site of protests by members of the Westboro Baptist Church. The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC is a church headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka Kansas, United States. ^[10]

On January 10, 2007, the day of Bush's presidential address on his plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, Baucus spoke against the increases and called for a phased withdrawal of U. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The surge is a phrase commonly used to describe United States President George W For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. S. troops. ^[11]

2008 reelection

Main article: Montana United States Senate election, 2008

Baucus will seek re-election in 2008, in a state that has been undergoing political change since 2004 when it elected Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer, and then Democratic Senator Jon Tester in 2006 by a slim margin. Montana generally gives its presidential electors to Republican candidates but historically has elected several prominent Democrats to the United States Senate, including Brian David Schweitzer (born September 4, 1955) is an American politician from the U Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an Organic farmer and junior U The state was the only one in the U. S. to switch a chamber of its legislature to Republican control in 2006. The legislative chamber had a one-seat Democratic majority that switched to a one-seat Republican majority.

Baucus has raised a record amount of money for his 2008 re-election bid, 91 percent of which has come from individuals living outside of Montana. ^[12] As a result of his significant fund raising advantage, in the week that he announced his intentions to run for re-election, he opened eight state offices - one more than he has official offices in the state. He also announced that he had hired 35 full-time campaign staff members.

Electoral history

2002 Montana United States Senatorial Election

1996 Montana United States Senatorial Election

1990 Montana United States Senatorial Election

1984 Montana United States Senatorial Election

Footnotes

External links

• United States Senator Max Baucus, U. S. Senate site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Federal Election Commission (or FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP is a nonpartisan research group based in Washington D Project Vote Smart ( PVS) is a Non-profit, Non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in com
• New York Times — Max Baucus News collected news and commentary
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Max Baucus profile
• 2008 Campaign Website

Articles

• Senator's wife charged with assault Joe Johns and Steve Turnham, CNN, April 21, 2004
• Senator's Wife Reaches Deal with Prosecutors ABC7DC