Max Baucus reflects on his career in the U.S. Senate, focusing on his tenure as chair of the Senate Finance Committee from 2007-2014, and his service as U.S. ambassador to China from 2014 to 2017. Baucus' Finance Committee had primary jurisdiction in the Senate for healthcare reform, and he describes the process by which the committee developed much of the legislation that became the Affordable Car e Act. Baucus provides details about the process' key negotiations, including those with Republicans on the Finance Committee, between Senate committees, and between House and Senate Democrats. Baucus also describes encounters with Tea Party protesters during the summer of 2009, and the launch of insurance exchanges on HealthCare.gov. Baucus outlines the role of the U.S. ambassador in the management of the U.S. mission to China, and describes his efforts to develop a coherent, long-term strategy across federal agencies active in the country. He also provides details about bilateral negotiations in which he participated, including surrounding climate change policy, North Korea's development of nuclear capabilities, the protection of commercial intellectual property, cybersecurity, the militarization of islands in the South China Sea, and the access of U.S. companies to Chinese markets
Presidents--United States; Tea Party movement; Health care reform--United States; Climatic changes--United States; Nuclear weapons--Korea (North); Nuclear nonproliferation--Korea (North); United States Foreign relations China; Islands of the South China Sea Militarization; Baucus, Max; Obama, Barack; United States; United States Congress; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
117 pages
Note (Biographical)
Max Baucus served as a United States senator from Montana from 1978 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a U.S. senator for over 35 years, making him the longest-serving U.S. senator in Montana history. He was appointed by President Obama as the 11th U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China, a position he held from 2014 until 2017. He was also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and was chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Before his election to the Senate, Baucus was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1978, representing Montana's 1st congressional district. He previously served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974
Note
Interviewed by William McAllister on February 22 and March 23, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Max S. Baucus, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022