Saxby Chambliss

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Clarence Saxby Chambliss (born November 10, 1943) is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. He is a member of the Republican Party. In the 110th Congress, Chambliss serves as the Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry.

Early life and education

Chambliss was born in Warrenton, North Carolina. He graduated from C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1960. Chambliss earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1966 and earned his Juris Doctor degree from 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.

Chambliss began his career as an attorney after he graduated from law school.

Political career

Chambliss is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Rules Committee and he is the Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

During the 109th Congress, Chambliss served as Chairman of that committee and is the only senator since 1947 to have chaired a full standing Senate Committee after serving in the Senate for just two years.

Chambliss’ service on committees relevant to homeland security and intelligence while serving in the House led to an appointment to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he has repeatedly advocated that the U.S. intelligence community must dramatically improve its information sharing and human intelligence gathering abilities

House of Representatives

Chambliss was elected to the U.S. 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. Representing the Macon-based 8th District, 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." Chambliss later apologized for the remarks.

In 2006, under mounting pressure, Chambliss was among several Senate Republicans that returned monetary gifts from convicted criminal Jack Abramoff.

Senate

Committee Assignments

Committee on Armed Services

Subcommittee on Personnel
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (Ranking Member)
Committee on Rules and Administration
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Joint Committee on Printing
Select Committee on Intelligence

2002 race

Chambliss ran for the Senate in 2002 and won a close race, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Max Cleland, 53% to 46%. His House career would have likely been over even if he hadn't run for the Senate; his home in Moultrie had been drawn into the neighboring 1st District, represented by fellow Republican Jack Kingston.

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.

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.

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.

Chambliss is the primary sponsor in the United States Senate for the tax-reform proposal The Fair Tax Act (S. 1025), attracting more cosponsors than any other fundamental tax reform bill introduced.

On the Issues rated him as a Hard-Core Conservative.

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.

Bo is a member of The Capital Club in Washington DC. The Capital Club is a recognized non-profit which maintains a membership of only one hundred and is committed to its long tradition of support for local and national charities and community causes. He is also a member of the Nine O'Clocks, a men's social club of Atlanta, GA.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/fashion/22club.html?ex=1319169600&en=0fc193562cfc506f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

In 2004, Bo married Bess Stembler, daughter of William and Anne Stembler of Atlanta and Sea Island, GA. They reside in Washington, D.C.

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349169

Personal

Chambliss is a member of the St. John's Episcopal Church in Moultrie, Georgia. He married Julianne in 1966 and they have two children.

Electoral history

: Results 1994–2000
Year	Democrat	Votes	Pct	Republican	Votes	Pct
1994	Craig Mathis	53,408	37%	Saxby Chambliss	89,591	63%
1996	Jim Wiggins	84,506	47%	Saxby Chambliss	93,619	53%
1998	Ronald L. Cain	53,079	38%	Saxby Chambliss	87,993	62%
2000	Jim Marshall	79,051	41%	Saxby Chambliss	113,380	59%