Max Baucus

In all due respect, listening to my colleagues, there were lots of conclusions. I don't hear a lot of facts, support for the statements made. One of the statements I heard is that flood control benefits will be much worse under the…

I want to say it has been a good debate. Our views have been aired. I deeply respect that different Senators might have different points of view on this issue. After all, that is why we run for this job. That is why we are here. We all…

as we begin the debate about whether to grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations status, PNTR, we need to remind ourselves what the Senate vote is all about and what it is not about. We are voting on whether American companies…

I rise to support the Daschle-Baucus amendment to strike section 103 from the energy and water appropriations bill. One might ask why. The answer is very simple: Because section 103 is an anti-environmental rider that prevents the sound…

I rise to join the minority leader and others who have expressed strong opposition to section 103 of the energy and water appropriations bill, which affects the management of the Missouri River. From the debate that we've had thus far, you…

I am very glad the Senate has voted to invoke cloture and will finally get to the bill granting China permanent normal trade relations status. That bill will come up in September. That legislation has the strong support of at least…

I left those meetings more convinced than ever that it is time to end our cold war policy towards Cuba. We should have normal trade relations with Cuba. Let me explain why. First, this is a unilateral sanction. Nobody else in the world…

I would like to speak a few words on a matter that will be coming before this body, I hope, later this week; that is, beginning the process of the United States agreeing to extend permanent normal trading relations status with China. I…

I want to follow on with the comments of my good friend from Iowa, Senator Grassley, and praise him for pointing out that the conference system is becoming bankrupt. Way too often conferees put in measures and take out measures that have…

this issue is really quite simple. It is unfortunate that it has been confused by lots of statements, which are somewhat true but not entirely true. The goal here is to eliminate the marriage tax penalty. Remember, there is nothing in the…

I have an amendment which establishes the Trade Injury Compensation Act of 2000. This measure is identical to my bill, S. 2709, which enjoys wide bipartisan support by my fellow members of Senate Beef Caucus and has already been referred…

I want to echo his comments about the importance of this provision. PNP irrigators provide a valuable service to communities in many western states and their continued fair treatment under FEMA policies is the right thing to do. I extend…

I join with my colleagues to pay tribute to Paul Coverdell. I have listened to a lot of tributes today. There have been so many themes, including cheerfulness, optimism, a welcome hand, no rancor, no bitterness. We all know that to be Paul…

I rise to support the Moynihan amendment, which provides an alternative form of marriage penalty relief. I do so for two main reasons. First, unlike the bill, the Democratic alternative completely eliminates the marriage penalty, by giving…

the rule of thumb is that for every $10 billion in highway funds 42,000 jobs are created. Those are good paying jobs. These are not service industry jobs. Those are highway jobs. The effect of this amendment would be to cut the funding of…

to summarize, obviously motorists do not like paying higher gasoline prices. As has been pointed out, it is a product, essentially, of supply and demand--in this case, short supply. That is what has happened. I must also point out the…

Not only in Montana, but all across the country because this will cost $13 billion. I know the proponents like to claim that the $13 billion would be spent because we take it from other programs. But I point out that $13 billion translates…

I think in the same spirit of compromise which we just passed the Defense authorization bill, as it has been referred to, we can work to get PNTR up this month and passed, along with the appropriations bills--as many as we can. I say to…

I will start by complimenting the two leaders. Yesterday at this time, we were facing a likely cloture petition which would have severely limited debate on different amendments. We finally reached agreement on a certain number of…

I will sum up because these are the facts. We have a choice: It is the House-passed bill or the Democratic alternative. The House-passed bill gives no relief, no estate is exempted under the House-passed bill, none, for 10 years--none. On…

this is a good amendment which includes the best two-thirds of the estate tax relief in the House bill, which is the bill promoted by the majority side. It combines this estate tax relief with important incentives for middle-income persons…

this is an amendment to help people who are not now putting aside money for their retirement. It is combined with measures previously addressed by the Senator from Nebraska, Mr. Kerrey, with respect to KidSave. It is a combined amendment…

I hope the majority side will not object. PNTR transcends all other issues that are before the Senate. It is an international issue. It is a public policy, a foreign policy issue, one which clearly falls in the category of politics…

last week, I was successful in achieving the inclusion of a bipartisan amendment in the Manager's Amendment on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriation bill, on one of the most important issues we will deal with in…

I assure him, as a member of the Finance Committee, we definitely plan to take up some form of estate tax reform. I don't know what version it would be, but clearly that has to pass this year. In addition, however, I do believe there is…