Baucus Appointed to Commission He Criticized

By Kellyn Brown, 2-24-10

The U.S. Senate last month rejected the idea of establishing a “debt commission” to find ways to reduce the federal deficit. And one of the most vocal opponents to the proposal was Montana Sen. Max Baucus, who said, "bureaucrats do not enact great legislation; senators do. Let us not shirk our responsibility." It failed on a 53-46 vote in the Senate, seven short of the 60 needed for approval.

But President Barack Obama created the commission anyway, which was suggested by Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Judd Gregg, R-N.H., by signing an executive order. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was asked to tap three members of his own party to join the 18-person panel. Guess who made the cut? From The Hill:

Reid tapped Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senate Budget Committee Chairman (D-N.D.) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to serve on the panel tasked with developing a plan to bring down the $12.3 trillion national debt.

"The establishment of this commission is an important signal that we understand the need to address our fiscal challenges and are committed to finding bipartisan solutions," Reid said in a statement. "Senators Durbin, Baucus and Conrad all have vast experience in dealing with the federal budget and have a proven record of looking out for working families like those in Nevada."

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