The Public Record
Max Baucus is a former U.S. Senator from Montana, serving from 1978 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, Baucus was known for his work on health care reform and tax policy. He played a significant role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act and was a key advocate for various economic initiatives during his tenure. Baucus also served as the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, where he influenced legislation related to taxation and trade. After leaving the Senate, he was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to China, where he focused on strengthening U.S.-China relations.
The Senator from Idaho has a very important amendment to the bill. It is a very important addition. Essentially it asks EPA to identify the technologies that allow communities to meet the normal standard-setting process. I think it is a…
This amendment requires an additional report by NAS before the Administrator uses the authority created by the amendment to set standards at other than the feasible level for noncarcinogens. As with previous reports, we would expect the…
No. The amendment requires that a less stringent standard ensure a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health. Unlike the standards for cancer-causing substances, there is no risk of adverse effects with the current standards that…
For most other health effects addressed the act, the Administrator has been able to identify a threshold for the health effect below which no adverse health effect is expected to occur from the presence of the contaminant in drinking…
No. We intend significant to be used in the everyday meaning of the term and not in the statistical sense. During the development of these amendments, we heard very loudly two important points: First, that one standard setting process will…
No, that would be a significant increase in risk and would not be permitted by this amendment. Increases in cancer risk of a lesser amount would be authorized. No matter what the feasible level is, an increase in cancer risk of the same…
EPA policy has been based on the premise that there is no safe level of exposure to a cancer-causing substance. So the health goal under the Safe Drinking Water Act has been set at zero, reflecting treatment and analytical technology. The…
Today, however, we are not talking about some arcane, abstract issue. Rather, we are talking about the public health and safety of the Nation's drinking water--the water is our coffee, in our orange juice; the water our children drink from…
I might say to the Senator, there is a good chance, much above 50-50, when we come to the Clean Water Act that we could accept the Senator's amendment. I cannot guarantee it, but in hearing the Senator and listening to the Senator and…
Smog is another matter. We are talking about the Clean Water Act, not to clean up the smog act.
Also, it seems to me that because of the very strong argument that the Senator makes as to the need, certainly, when the Native Americans of Alaska compete with other technologies in developing new environmental technologies, the EPA…
I think the answer is the Clean Water Act, not the Safe Drinking Water Act, but the Clean Water Act. The fact is that the Clean Water Act is on the calendar, I think, today--it was out over the weekend. If not today it will be on the…
However, S. 476 directs the Secretary of Interior to consult with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere before appointing board members. The committee intends that the consultation of the Secretary of the Interior with…
Politicians like Max Baucus
