TRIBUTES TO HON. MAX BAUCUS 

Max Baucus 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA 

TRIBUTES 

IN THE CONGRESS OF 

THE UNITED STATES 

UNUM

E PLURIBUS


congress.#15
Max Baucus 

Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office 


92509.001
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2015

S. DOC. 113–40 

Tributes 

Delivered in Congress 

Max Baucus 

United States Congressman 

1975–1978 

United States Senator 

1978–2014 

÷ 

Compiled under the direction 

of the 

Joint Committee on Printing 

[ iii ] 

CONTENTS 

Page 

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 

[ v ] 

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. 

[ vi ] 

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. 

[ vii ] 

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 husVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:55 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\92509.TXT KAYNE
[ viii ] 

band 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.’’ 

[ ix ] 

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. 

[ x ] 

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. 

[ xi ] 

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 

[ xii ] 

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 oneon-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 selfemployed and finally able to get access to affordable, quality 

health care coverage because of the ACA. 

[ xiii ] 

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, notso-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. 

[ xiv ] 

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. 

[ xv ] 

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. 

[ xvi ] 

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 HiLine, 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 

[ xvii ] 

back because we all are together on different journeys that 

we take. 

I thank all of you, my colleagues. 

I yield the floor. 

[ xviii ] 

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 

[ 3 ] 

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. 

[ 4 ] 

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. 

[ 5 ] 

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 

[ 6 ] 

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 beauVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:55 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\92509.TXT KAYNE
[ 7 ] 

tiful 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, 

[ 8 ] 

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. 

[ 9 ] 

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. 

[ 10 ] 

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 

[ 11 ] 

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 adVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:55 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\92509.TXT KAYNE
[ 12 ] 

dressed 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 

[ 13 ] 

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: ‘‘MonVerDate Aug 31 2005 14:55 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 091900 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 6688 Sfmt 6688 H:\DOCS\BYEBYE\BYEBYE14\92509.TXT KAYNE
[ 14 ] 

tana 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. 

[ 15 ] 

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 

[ 16 ] 

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. 

[ 17 ] 

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 

[ 18 ] 

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 

[ 19 ] 

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 

[ 20 ] 

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 AsiaPacific 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 

[ 21 ] 

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 

[ 22 ] 

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 

[ 23 ] 

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 

[ 24 ] 

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. 

Æ