Max Baucus: “I wish to mark the passing of an outstanding public servant, former member of the Senate community, former staffer to…”

“I wish to mark the passing of an outstanding public servant, former member of the Senate community, former staffer to Senators, and former staffer for the Senate Finance Committee--Paul Offner. Born in Bennington, VT, Paul spent part of his childhood in Florence, Italy. He earned a bachelor's degree from Amherst College, a master's degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and a doctorate in economics from Princeton. After this outstanding education, Paul began his career in public service with the U.S. Senate, serving as a legislative assistant to Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Paul had caught the political bug. He decided to run for office himself, seeking to represent the people of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the State legislature. That showed that Paul didn't shrink from tough odds, as he ran as a Democrat in La Crosse, a city that had not elected a Democrat for quite some time. Paul proved a natural campaigner. He had a great slogan: 'Vote once. Vote Offner.' Winning that election, Paul served in the Wisconsin State legislature, and then in the Wisconsin Senate. He established himself as an expert on the challenging area of health care and health insurance.”