Max Baucus

In 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Max Baucus to be U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China. He served as ambassador for three years, until 2017. Baucus had served as the senior U.S. senator from Montana from 1978 to 2014 and was Montana’s longest-serving senator.

While in the Senate, Baucus was chairman and ranking member of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance. While chairman, he was the chief architect of the Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law by Obama on March 23, 2009. Baucus gained extensive experience in international trade as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, where he led the passage and enactment of the Free Trade Agreements with 11 countries. While serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee, he led the way in securing reauthorization of numerous farm bills. As a member of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, he guided many highway bills and other infrastructure legislation to passage and also led the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1990.

Before his election to the Senate, Baucus represented Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1978. He earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Stanford University.