Baucus Oversaw Diminished Power of Finance Chair

The imminent departure of Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), from both the Senate and the Senate Finance Committee, “has put a new focus on the panel and the chairmanship, which has declined in stature and influence compared with the vital role it played in the Senate almost from the beginning,” the New York Times reports.

“Without a shift in the power structure of the Senate, it appears likely the next committee leader will have only a fraction of the clout of those in the past.”