Blog #5

Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana has recently decided not to run for reelection.  In a recent New York Times article the author Janet Hook writes of Baucus’s announcement on March 23^rd.  His retirement makes the total number six on the list of retiring Democratic Senators.  In recent votes concerning the budget and gun control legislation, Baucus has gone against the party.  Baucus wants to reform the tax code to make it simpler without raising revenue, in clear opposition to several members of his party that want to simplify the tax code while also raising revenue (that they intend to do by increasing the income taxes on the wealthiest Americans.)  It will be interesting to see how the remainder of his term plays out.  Now that Baucus is not trying to get reelected will his voting record continue to be in opposition to his party beliefs or will he switch sides in support of his fellow Democrats.   We will all be on the edge of our seats with curiosity and anticipation I’m sure. 

Video with Discussion on his Retirement Choice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HIkaEZjvts

Even though Baucus is not running again it is useful to see how he is scored and rated amongst interest groups, his party, and the DW-Nominate committee to better understand his positions on particular issues.  Alterations to Baucus’s voting preferences may lead to a change in these current scores.  Whether or not a member of Congress votes with or against the standard party position can have effects on their authority within the institution and have a positive or a negative effect on the opinions of a member’s constituency.   According to Open Congress Baucus voted with the Democratic Party 75% of the time, which ranked 51^st out of the 53 Senators.   Interest groups have the ability to sway a member to vote in their favor if the particular interest group has a strong standing in the member’s constituency.  Montana is a rather conservative state, supporting Romney in the 2012 election by 14 points over President Obama.  The interest groups ratings that are important for Baucus include, but are not limited to, NARAL-Pro Choice America, Planned Parenthood, National Farmers Union, American Civil Liberties Union, NRA, and for fun The Federally Employed Women.  It is relevant to notice the change in ratings over the years of Baucus’s congressional service.  I should mention that the following information is given in percentages.  The higher the percentage the more often Baucus votes in accordance with that interest group’s views.  THE NARAL-Pro Choice America and Planned Parenthood ratings mirror each other giving Baucus a 100% rating in both the year 2010 and the year 2000.  The face that Baucus is consistently a Pro Choice supporter in a rather conservative state is surprising to me.  The National Farmers Union gave Baucus a 100% in both 2010 and 2000.  The American Civil Liberties Union gave Baucus an 80% approval rating in the year 2010 and just a 57% approval rating in the year 2000. The NRA (who is considered to be one of the most powerful and influential interest groups in America today) has an interesting report on Senator Baucus.  In the year 2008, which was the most recent rating I found, they gave the Senator 100%.  But in the year 2002 he received only a 67% and even more surprising 0% in 1993.  The recent votes and actions taken by Baucus in accordance with NRA views are obviously in due to push from his constituency (there must be a good number of Ted Nugent want-to-Bes in Montana).  http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/27/flashback-ted-nugent-to-piers-morgan-on-gun-control-kiss-my-ass-video/ (Nugent on gun control)  The ADA (Americans for Democratic Action) gave Baucus and 85% rating this year.  DW-Nominate ranked Baucus 45^th of 101 Senators in the 112^th Congress and 52^nd in the 111^th Congress.  

Sources:

http://www.voteview.com/SENATE_SORT112.HTM (used for DW-Nominate scores)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324235304578440651803014518.html (This is a NY Times article announcing Baucus’s retirement Tuesday)

http://www.adaction.org/media/2011%20ADA%20Voting%20Record(1).pdf (Used to score members on their action vs. inaction in Congress)

http://votesmart.org/candidate/53315/max-baucus#.UXlHEaI3uSo (List of various interest group ratings)

http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/300005_Max_Baucus (Used for party rating)

MC Blog #4

Committee Assignments

Senator Max Baucus currently serves on several Senate Committees which include the Senate Finance Committee where Baucus is currently the Committee Chair, the Senate Agriculture Committee where he is a Senior Member and also the only member of Montana’s delegation on an Agricultural committee, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee where Baucus is considered to be a Senior Member.  Senator Baucus serves on the Joint Committee on Taxation, made up of members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and serves as the Vice Chairman.  Baucus also participates in the subcommittees of: Taxation and Oversight Subcommittee, Domestic and Foreign Marketing Subcommittee, the Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health Subcommittee, the Production and Income Protection and Price Support Subcommittee, the Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms Subcommittee, Chairman of the Subcommittee of Transportation and Infrastructure (committee that writes the federal highway program), the Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, and the Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health Subcommittee. (http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=46)

Current issues before committees relevant to campaigns

·         Baucus voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels.  The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89/8 vote on January 1, 2013.  (http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=46)

·         In the recent debate concerning a ban on assault rifles the Democratic Party has generally supported Obama in its installation.  But Baucus clearly learned from his previous experience during the Clinton era concerning gun control.  Baucus then supported an assault weapons ban and nearly lost his Senate seat due to an angered constituency.  (Mountain men obviously need assault weapons to fight off bears and mountain lions; not to mention keeping that pesky neighbor off their property.) Baucus was recently reported opposing the President’s proposed ban.  With his competition mounting in Montana Baucus needs to keep his constituents happy (and apparently armed.)  Although in all seriousness it was reported by a research group studying the Rocky Mountain Front in 2011, sportsmen in Montana spend around $10 million every year during hunting season on the Front.  (http://missoulian.com/news/local/pro-gun-voters-put-heat-on-democratic-senators/article_617e6e96-88d6-11e2-ac8d-001a4bcf887a.html)

·         Baucus demanded that the House vote on the proposed Farm Bill that he helped push through the Senate.  He claimed that the Farm Bill is a “jobs bill.”  He stated that Montana’s dairy producers would be hit the hardest by the inaction.  Agriculture is Montana’s leading industry with sixty-five percent of the land in Montana is currently included in farms and ranches. Baucus discusses this issue in this video link: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=fXOhU50paa4)

·         Baucus was a leader in much of the 2009 Healthcare Reform due to his chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee.  He continues to receive much criticism about the reform from his Montana constituents.  (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/max_baucus/index.html)

Sources:

http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=issue&id=46 for list of Committee Assignments

http://missoulian.com/news/local/pro-gun-voters-put-heat-on-democratic-senators/article_617e6e96-88d6-11e2-ac8d-001a4bcf887a.html for article on assault weapons ban

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/max_baucus/index.html for article on Healthcare Reform

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=fXOhU50paa4 for video on Joint Committee on Taxation to reduce the deficit, and Healthcare

MC Blog #3

Strategy

Travel
Any person wishing to meet with Senator Baucus is invited to coffee every Wednesday morning when the Senate is in Session.  (http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=coffee) This casual meeting allows the average person to meet the senator and to express their concerns.  Apart from traveling to D.C. to visit with Baucus, his constituents may catch him at one of his “Work Days.” These are days that Baucus works alongside his constituents at their respective jobs to better understand their lives and situations.  (http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=max_in_montana) (Although there are rumors circulating that Baucus has not held an actual work day for over three years.  Baucus recently traveled back to Missoula Montana to reauthorize the federal Violence Against Women Act at the YMCA on Tuesday Feb. 19^th.   He has also been busy nominating judges for the Montana Court to President Obama, introducing new bills in D.C. that I have listed below, and making plans to build a new home in Bozeman Montana.  

Press releases

Baucus’s official website, http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=newsroom, has a list of several recent press releases.  The most recent press release explains how Baucus and his Senatorial partner Democratic Senator John Tester as well as Montana’s House Representative Steve Daines are fighting to increase Montanan’s access to high-speed internet in order to spur economic development and create jobs.  The trio also suggests that an increase in available broadband networks will allow people in Montana to further their education with online classes and increase their access to health care.

 

Franking/Mailers

A Grassroots Action Network called Max for Montana has been established in support Senator Max Baucus and allows volunteers to sign up to help Baucus get re-elected.  Registration is available at http://www.maxformontana.com/petition/w1302gg/.  Senator Max Baucus released a $25,000 radio ad in April of 2012 for his 2014 campaign (nothing like getting a head start).

Bills sponsored/cosponsored

Listed below are the most resent sponsored and co-sponsored bills of Max Baucus according to Congress.gov, OpenCongress.org and GovTrack.us. 

           Most Recent Sponsored Bills

1.      S.364 = Bill to establish he Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management Area, to designate certain Federal land as wilderness and to improve the management of noxious weeds in the Lewis and Clark National Forest.

2.      S.338 - A bill to amend the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 to provide consistent and reliable authority for, and for the funding of, the land and water conservation fund to maximize the effectiveness of the fund for future generations, and for other purposes

3.      S. 255- North Fork Watershed protection Act of 2013 is a bill to withdraw certain Federal land and interests in that land from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws.

Most Recent Co-Sponsored Bills

1.      S.385 – A bill to deem the submission of certain claims to an Indian Health Service Contraction Officer as timely.

2.      S.381 – A bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the WWII members of the “Doolittle Tokyo Raiders”, for outstanding heroism, valor, skill, and service to the United States in conduction the bombings of Tokyo.

3.      S.375 – A bill to require Senate candidates to file designations, statements, and reports in electronic form.

One of Senator Baucus’s successful recent bills is the Heritage Act https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYsCrqKWAVc that was put together by farmers and ranchers, hunters and fishermen, and small businesses, to do what they believe are right for their communities.  Baucus merely claims to be a pawn at their disposal that pushed the bill through Congress

Sources:

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/baucus-readying-for-senate-re-election-campaign-in/article_a131f560-7c68-11e1-9a7e-001a4bcf887a.html for radio ads, press releases, and noted visits within the state of Montana

http://www.maxformontana.com/petition/w1302gg/ for available outlets of volunteer campaign work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISuSKT4PxqQ for the video that announces Bipartisan Highway Bill compromise

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_136/Schweitzer-might-challenge-baucus-in-2014-montana-primary-206288-1.html for voting records

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s255 for list of sponsored and co-sponsored bills

http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/300005_Max_Baucus for list of sponsored and co-sponsored bills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdjV79weHTA for video of Baucus and Montana rancher before the Senate Panel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYsCrqKWAVc for video on the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act

http://beta.congress.gov/member/max-baucus/66?pageSize=25&Sponsorship=Sponsored+Legislation for list of sponsored and co-sponsored bills

http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=newsroom for lists and videos of Baucus’s press releases