Max Baucus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Max Baucus | |
| | |
| 1979–Present | |
| Political party: | Democratic |
|---|---|
| Preceded by: | Paul G. Hatfield |
| Succeeded by: | Incumbent (2009) |
| Born: | December 11 1941 Helena, Montana |
| Spouse: | Wanda Minge |
| Religion: | Congregationalist |
Max Sieben Baucus (b. December 11 1941, Helena, Montana) is the senior United States Senator from Montana and is a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
Max Sieben Baucus graduated from Helena High School in 1959. He is an alumni of Sigma Alpha Epislon fraternity, He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from Stanford University. He married Wanda Minge in 1983, and has one son, Zeno.
He began law practice in Missoula, Montana, in 1971. He was Executive Director and Committee Coordinator for Montana's 1972 Constitutional Convention.
[edit] Montana State Legislature
In 1973, Baucus was elected to the Montana State Legislature. He was a state representative from Missoula until his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1974. He was re-elected in 1976. Baucus was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 and has served consecutively ever since.
[edit] United States Senate
Senator Baucus is the Ranking Democratic Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, which he chaired from 2001 to 2003. Baucus 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. Baucus voted for the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. 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, but has since switched positions on gun control, opposing most new gun control laws. 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." Baucus voted for the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, which made it harder to declare personal bankruptcy. In 2006, he voted for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag. On other issues, Baucus is more in the mainstream of his party. He is very pro-choice and 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 26 senators to vote against the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. Despite his mixed record on environmental issues, Baucus has opposed opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling. 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. In the Senate, he is one of the largest career recipients of pro-Israel Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions, $319,348 up to 2006.
[edit] 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 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. Taylor dropped out of the race and Baucus won with 63% of the vote.
On July 3, 2004, Baucus suffered minor injuries when his motorcycle hit gravel as he swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle. Local police confirmed he was not drinking alcohol prior to the incident.
Baucus' wife, Wanda, made national headlines on April 21, 2004, after she was charged with assault stemming from an incident at Johnsons Garden Center, a business in Washington, DC. There were numerous witnesses. She was arrested the next day. On June 2, she accepted the terms Federal Prosecutors offer most first-time violent offenders (excluding felony offenses.) She avoided trial by going to court and accepting criminal responsibilty for the assault. She was to complete 40 hours of community service, participate in anger control classes, and stay away from Johnson's Flower and Garden Center. The incident will be removed from her record after a short amount of time, but come into play if she is found to have assaulted another person.
In 2006, Baucus returned $18,892 in contributions from groups connected with, but not from, lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
[edit] Nephew killed in Iraq
It was reported August 1, 2006 that Senator Baucus' nephew Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus was killed in combat<ref>DefenseLink: "DoD Identifies Marine Casualty"</ref> in Al Anbar province, Iraq, on July 29. 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<ref>DefenseLink: "DoD Identifies Marine Casualty"</ref>.
Senator 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). He also voted with the majority of Democrats against the Kerry Amendment (firm deadline for withdrawal).
[edit] References
<references/>
[edit] External links
- Sen. Baucus's Senate homepage
- "Senator's wife charged with assault" (CNN.com)
- "Senator's Wife Reaches Deal with Prosecutors (abc7dc.com)
- Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
- Satirical article from the Onion
| Preceded by: Richard Shoup | United States Representative for the 1st Congressional District of Montana 1975–1979 | Succeeded by: Pat Williams |
| Preceded by: Paul G. Hatfield | United States Senator (Class 2) from Montana 1979– | Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Preceded by: William V. Roth, Jr. | Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance 2001 | Succeeded by: Charles E. Grassley |
| Preceded by: Charles E. Grassley | Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance 2001–2003 | Succeeded by: Charles E. Grassley |
| Preceded by: Charles E. Grassley | Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance 2007– | Succeeded by: Incumbent |
| Montana's current delegation to the United States Congress |
|---|
| Senators: Max Baucus (D), Conrad Burns (R)
Representative(s): Denny Rehberg (R) All delegations: Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming — American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands |
pl:Max Baucus ru:Баукус, Макс sv:Max Baucus
Categories: 1941 births | Living people | American Congregationalists | Members of the Montana House of Representatives | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Montana | Montana lawyers | Montana politicians | People from Helena, Montana | Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers | Stanford University alumni | United States Senators from Montana
