Saxby Chambliss
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| Saxby Chambliss | |
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Senior Senator, Georgia
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| In office 2003–Present |
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| Preceded by | Max Cleland |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent (2009) |
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| Born | November 10, 1943 Warrenton, North Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Julianne Chambliss |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Clarence Saxby Chambliss (born November 10, 1943) is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party. Currently, Chambliss serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry.
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[edit] Early life and education
Chambliss was born in Warrenton, North Carolina. He graduated from C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1960. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1966 and the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1968.
In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Chambliss was given a student deferment so he could attend law school. After that, he received a medical deferment (4-F) because of a bad knee.[1][2]
Chambliss began his career as an attorney after he graduated from law school.
[edit] Political career
[edit] House of Representatives
Chambliss was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994 as one of the new conservative Republican congressmen whose elections caused the party to gain a majority in both houses of congress. A long-time congressman and fellow Georgian, Newt Gingrich, was the leader of the movement, and Chambliss and the other Republicans elected that year are known as the Class of '94. Chambliss was re-elected to the House in 1996, 1998 and 2000. During his four terms in the House, Chambliss served on the House's Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and served as Chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security.
Chambliss was criticized for remarks he made during a November 19, 2001 meeting with emergency responders in Valdosta, Georgia, where he said that they should "turn the sheriff loose and arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line."
[edit] Senate
[edit] 2002 race
Chambliss ran for the Senate in 2002 and won a close race, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Max Cleland, 53% to 46%. His campaign was based on themes of national defense and security, but drew criticism for television ads that paired images of Cleland and Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and for questioning the commitment to homeland security of his opponent, a triple amputee and decorated Vietnam veteran.[3]
Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said of one ad, "[I]t's worse than disgraceful, it's reprehensible;" Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said the ads were "beyond offensive to me."[4]
[edit] Political positions
Chambliss' ratings from interest groups indicate how often he votes in agreement with their priorities; his particular scores are fairly typical for a conservative Republican.
- NARAL: 0%
- American Civil Liberties Union:7%
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce: 91%
- National Education Association:27%
- League of Conservation Voters: 0%
- Christian Coalition: 100%
- National Rifle Association: A+
- AFL-CIO: 15%
- National Taxpayers Union:74%
Chambliss is the primary sponsor in the Senate for the tax reform proposal the The FairTax Act (S. 25), attracting more cosponsors than any other fundamental tax reform bill introduced.
[edit] Lobbyist son
Chambliss's son, Bo, is a registered lobbyist with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and lobbies on commodity futures trading issues that are directly under the purview of his father, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Since May 2004, the senator's office has had a written office policy that staff members must refrain from engaging in any meeting or activity involving lobbying by Bo Chambliss.
"Staff should not be informed of any lobbying that Bo might undertake with respect to committees or subcommittees on which Senator Chambliss serves," the policy says. [5]
[edit] Other
Chambliss is a member of the Episcopal Church. He married Julianne in 1966 and they have two children.
[edit] References
- ^ Should patriotism be an issue in the U.S. Senate race? Jeff Berry, 2002
- ^ Mary McGrory, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html "Dirty-Bomb Politics", Washington Post, June 20, 2002
- ^ Chambliss Ad (Cleland), You Tube, August 02, 2006
- ^ Carlson attempted to downplay Republican attacks on Cleland - Media Matters, July 30, 2004
- ^ Democrats target Georgia's Chambliss over son's lobbying - USNews.com 3/7/06
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Project Vote Smart - Political Profile
- Campaign Finance
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Top Contributors in 2006 Election Cycle and Top PAC Contributions in 2006 Election Cycle at opensecrets.org
[edit] Further reading
- James Moore. 2004. Bush's War for Reelection: Iraq, The White House, and the People. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-48385-0. Chapter 15, pp. 288-308.
| Preceded by J. Roy Rowland |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 8th congressional district January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003 |
Succeeded by Jim Marshall |
| Preceded by Max Cleland |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Georgia January 3, 2003 – present |
Incumbent |
Categories: 1943 births | American Episcopalians | Georgia lawyers | Georgia (U.S. state) politicians | Living people | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia | People from North Carolina | Sigma Chi brothers | United States Senators from Georgia | University of Georgia alumni
