Max Baucus

Speaking at Center for American Progress

Template:TOCnestleft Max Baucus is a former Democratic member of the United States Senate, representing Montana.

Baucus earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from Stanford University. He has one son, Zeno.

Baucus' live-in girlfriend, Melodee Hanes, had her eye on the Montana U.S. attorney post for years before he nominated her. She withdrew her nomination in March.

Being named U.S. attorney "was the career path she was working on" since at least 2002, said Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos.

Supported by Council for a Livable World

The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and alleged Soviet agent, Leo Szilard, is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security", primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Max Baucus in his successful Senate run as candidate for Montana.

Anya Landau influence

After the Center for International Policy Anya Landau served as International Trade Advisor to Chairman Max Baucus of the Senate Finance Committee. In that capacity she focused on trade and worker adjustment policy, US-Cuba relations, and helped draft and pass the 2006 SAFE Port Act. Previously she advised Senator Baucus on defense, homeland security, immigration, and foreign policy. During her time in the Senate, she worked extensively on issues dealing with U.S. agricultural exports to Cuba, Treasury Department sanctions enforcement and the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba.

Ending Cuban trade ban

Shortly before President Obama took office, a coalition of U.S. businesses, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Society of Travel Agents, the Business Roundtable, and US Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter, in which they said, “We support the complete removal of all trade and travel restrictions on Cuba. We recognize that change may not come all at once, but it must start somewhere, and it must begin soon.”

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., a representative of the farm interests, introduced the Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act, S 1089, which currently has 16 co-sponsors. A companion bill, HR 1531, introduced in the House by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has 27 co-sponsors

Trade with Russia

Ending nearly 40 years of trade restrictions with Russia, the Senate voted December 2012 to approve a bill that will allow U.S. companies to expand business ties with the world's ninth-largest economy and its 140 million consumers.

The bill to grant permanent normal trade relations to Russia, which passed 92-4, now goes to President Obama, who said that he'll sign it.

Businesses lobbied hard for the legislation, saying it would allow them to cash in after Russia formally joined the World Trade Organization on Aug. 22.

With passage of the bill, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a top advocate of the legislation, predicted they will at least double within five years.

Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said all U.S. businesses will benefit because Russia now will be forced to lower its tariffs and allow more imports after joining the WTO.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the trade deal "includes only concessions by Russia," since the United States is a member of the WTO.

Planned Parenthood

Baucus received $5000 in lobbying funds from Planned Parenthood in 2008.

Committees

• Senate Finance Committee

• Chairman, Subcommittee on International Trade
• Subcommittee on Long Term Growth and Debt Reduction
• Subcommittee on Taxation and Oversight

• Senate Agriculture Committee

• Chairman of Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection, and Product Promotion
• Subcommittee on Production and Price Competitiveness
• Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization

• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

• Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Saftey
• Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health

• Joint Committee on Taxation

External links

• Baucus website with the Senate

References

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