Max Baucus: “Finally, my greatest thanks are to the people of the State of Montana. I express my gratitude and thanks to the people…”

“Finally, my greatest thanks are to the people of the State of Montana. I express my gratitude and thanks to the people of Montana for sending me here as their representative. I will never forget the people I work for. They are my bosses. They are my employers and the best anyone could ever have. I know each Member feels that way about his or her State. I am blessed to be able to represent Montana. Frankly, it is for that reason that, preparing for this bill last year, my staff and I spent a lot of time in Montana meeting with workers and owners of businesses all across our State. We visited over 140 companies, 8 accounting firms and law firms, 11 economic development organizations in Montana. We spoke with about 60 companies over the phone, asking them what they thought about this legislation. How are Montana companies and interests affected by this bill? I simply wanted to know the biggest problems facing Montana businesses, I wanted to know what is working for them and what is not working for them, and I wanted to make sure that the manufacturing deduction in this bill will work for Montanans. Obviously, they had a lot of concerns. People in my State, as in many States, are worried about job security, health security, and economic security. Will they have jobs tomorrow? Will their jobs be cut because business is slow? What about health insurance coverage with health care costs going up? Will their businesses be able to grow and compete with foreign competition?”