Early life, education, and family

Chambliss was born in Warrenton, North Carolina, the son of Emma Baker (née Anderson) and Alfred Parker Chambliss, Jr., an Episcopalian minister. He graduated from C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1961. He attended Louisiana Tech University from 1961-1962 and earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1966, working his way through college at a bakery in Athens. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1968. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

During the Vietnam War, Chambliss received student deferments and was also given a medical deferment (1-Y) for bad knees due to a football injury.

Chambliss is a member of St. Mark's Anglican Church in Moultrie, Georgia. He married Julianne Frohbert in 1966 and they have two children and six grandchildren.

Chambliss's son, Bo, was a registered lobbyist for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and lobbied on commodity futures trading issues that fall under legislative jurisdiction of the Senate Agriculture Committee, of which the Senator is a member. The Senator's office enacted a policy that prevents Bo from lobbying the Senator or his staff.

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.

Chambliss was elected from the Macon-based 8th District, after six-term incumbent J. Roy Rowland retired. He was elected with 63% of the vote—an unexpectedly large margin since the 8th had never elected a Republican. He faced a tough re-election fight in 1996 against Macon attorney Jim Wiggins, but breezed to reelection in 1998 and 2000.

During his four terms in the House, Chambliss served on the United States House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and chaired the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security.

Less than a month after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, which Chambliss chaired, investigated intelligence issues related to the attacks. The committee's investigation resulted in the first comprehensive report detailing critical shortfalls within the United States intelligence community's performance and technological capabilities.

Chambliss was criticized for remarks he made during a November 19, 2001 meeting with first responders in Valdosta, Georgia, where he said that homeland security would be improved by turning the sheriff loose to "arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line." Chambliss apologized for the remarks.

In 2006, Chambliss was among several congressional Republicans and Democrats who returned campaign donations from Jack Abramoff.

Legislation

As a Representative, Chambliss sponsored 21 bills, including:

104th Congress (1995-1996)

• H.R. 2335, a bill to exempt from solid waste designation resources that are recycled, introduced September 14, 1995

106th Congress (1999-2000)

• H.R. 3380, a bill to treat crimes committed by active duty military personnel outside of American jurisdiction as crimes committed in American jurisdiction if such crime would result in imprisonment for more than one year, introduced November 16, 1999
• H.R. 4296, a bill to adjust monetary penalties for hunting migratory birds, introduced April 13, 2000
• H.R. 4790, a bill to require federal lands to be open to recreational hunting except if those lands are used for national security purposes or if state laws prohibit such hunting, June 29, 2000, reintroduced in the 107th Congress as H.R. 5612, in the 108th Congress as S. 1204, in the 109th Congress as S. 1522, in the 110th Congress as S. 408, and in the 111th Congress as S. 1348.

107th Congress (2001-2002)

• H.R. 5480, a bill to terminate and adjust quotas for certain types of tobacco, to create a tobacco advisory board in the Department of Agriculture, and to establish a trust fund and program to provide financial aid to certain tobacco farmers to help them transition to the free market, introduced September 26, 2000. H.R. 5480's provisions were later included in the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act, which was part of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.

U.S. Senate

Elections

2002 race

Main article: United States Senate election in Georgia, 2002

Upon urging from Karl Rove and the Bush administration who viewed the Democratic party of Georgia as vulnerable, Chambliss ran for the Senate in 2002, facing freshman Democratic incumbent Max Cleland. Chambliss's political career would have likely ended if he hadn't run for the Senate; the state legislature had shifted his home in Moultrie (along with most of the southern portion of his district) to the nearby 1st district, represented by fellow Republican and friend Jack Kingston.

Chambliss focused on the issue of national defense and homeland security during his campaign, and released an ad that included Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, highlighting Cleland's record on the issues of war and terrorism. Fellow Republicans criticized him after he ran an ad against Cleland, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, in which he argued he was weak on defense and homeland security.

Chambliss received criticism from Democrats and Republicans for this ad, pointing out that he, who hadn't served in the Vietnam War due to receiving military deferments, had attacked a Vietnam War veteran who lost three limbs during his service for not being tough enough on issues of war and homeland security. Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said of one ad, "It's worse than disgraceful, it's reprehensible." McCain, along with Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, made significant complaints to the Republican National Committee until the ads were taken down. Chambliss supporters disagreed with the criticism, saying the advertisement did not question Cleland's patriotism, but rather his judgment.

Chambliss won the election, receiving 53 percent of the votes to Cleland's 46 percent.

Karl Rove stated in his 2010 memoirs that "Although Cleland personally blamed me for the ad, saying I was guilty of 'character assassination' and responsible for 'the biggest lie in America.' I did not conceive, create, or have anything to do with the Chambliss ad. But I thought it was effective because it was factual. Chambliss had run a spot associating himself with Pres. Bush by suggesting Cleland had not supported creating the Homeland Security department. It was a clever tactic, since Bush was very popular in Georgia. Cleland had worked against Bush on creation of the new department. Chambliss' ad morphed Osama bin Laden and Saddam into Cleland suggesting he supported them, followed by a scrolling list of the times he had voted against the homeland security bill."

2008 race

Main article: United States Senate election in Georgia, 2008

Wikinews has related news: Republican Senator from Georgia wins run-off election

On November 4, 2008, Chambliss received 50% of the vote, while Democratic challenger Jim Martin received 47% and Libertarian Allen Buckley received 3% of the vote.

Since no candidate exceeded 50% of the vote, a runoff election between Chambliss and Martin was held on December 2, 2008.

Chambliss defeated Martin 57% to 43% in the runoff election.

Imperial Sugar

During the run-off period, Chambliss received a subpoena regarding the investigation of a lawsuit against Imperial Sugar that claims that Imperial "wrongfully" failed to remove hazards that caused the disaster of a Savannah-based sugar refinery that exploded on February 7, 2008. Chambliss was accused of "harassing" a former sugar company executive. In a statement, Chambliss said he has referred the matter to Senate lawyers. Chambliss has stated: "I continue to sympathize with the families who were devastated by this tragedy and I will continue to work to protect the interests of those families." Savannah attorney Mark Tate, "an active backer of Democratic candidates," insisted that "there is nothing political" about the timing of the subpoena. When Tate subpoenaed Chambliss to testify in the case, Chambliss claimed "legislative immunity."

Legislation

As a Senator, Chambliss sponsored 125 bills, including:

108th Congress (2003-2004)

• S. 1493, a bill to repeal federal income taxes, federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and federal payroll taxes, and to replace such taxes with a 30% retail sales tax on taxable goods and services, adjusting to the previous year's federal receipts, introduced July 30, 2003, reintroduced in the 109th Congress as S. 25, in the 110th Congress as S. 1025, in the 111th Congress as S. 296, in the 112th Congress as S. 13, and in the 113th Congress as S. 122. This bill is a version of the FairTax proposal.
• S. 1752, a bill to establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, introduced October 17, 2003, reintroduced in the 109th Congress as S. 200. S. 1752's companion bill was H.R. 1618. This bill's provisions were later included in the National Heritage Areas Act of 2006.
• S. 2702, a bill to require people who make disbursements for electioneering communications report such disbursements to the Federal Election Commission, to prohibit corporations and unions from making such disbursements, and to treat coordinated communications as campaign contributions, introduced July 21, 2004

109th Congress (2005-2006)

• S. 459 and S. 712, bills to assess the costs and feasibility of constructing the Interstate 3 and Interstate 14 interstate highway corridors, introduced February 18 and April 5, 2005. The provisions of both bills were included in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
• S. 2021, a bill to promote sporting events for disabled veterans, introduced November 16, 2005
• S. 2042, a bill to provide for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, and the Rotterdam Convention, introduced November 17, 2005

110th Congress (2007-2008)

• S. 386, a bill to expand the Renewable Fuel Standard, and to promote the development and use of cellulosic ethanol, introduced January 24, 2007. Versions of this bill's provisions were included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
• S. 648, a bill to decrease the retirement age of veterans who served in active duty or in an emergency contingency after the September 11 attacks by three months for every three consecutive months spent serving, limited to being reduced to age 50, with eligibility for retirement health care authorized by the Department of Defense continuing to start at age 60, introduced February 15, 2007
• S. 1272, a bill to establish the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to help National Guard and Reserve members reintegrate into society, introduced May 2, 2007. The Program was established in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.
• S. 3356, a bill to mint 350,000 $1 infantry coins for sale during 2012, with a surcharge of $10 on the sale of such coins, and with revenue to be allocated to the National Infantry Museum, introduced July 29, 2008. S.3356's companion bill, H.R. 3229, was signed into law October 8, 2008.

111th Congress (2009-2010)

• S. 1071, a bill to prohibit admission or entry into the United States of people held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, and to prohibit such detainees from being released on bond or parole, introduced May 19, 2009

Committee assignments

Vice Chairman Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Senate Armed Services Committee

• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
• Subcommittee on Personnel

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

• Subcommittee on Commodities, Markets, Trade and Risk Management (Ranking Member)
• Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation
• Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Senate Special Committee on Aging

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

According to the Congressional Research Service, Sen. Chambliss is the only senator since 1947 to have chaired a full standing Senate Committee (Agriculture) after serving in the Senate for just two years.

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Fire Services Caucus
• Congressional Sportsmen Foundation
• Juvenile Diabetes Caucus
• National Guard Caucus
• Rural Health Caucus
• Senate Caucus on Military Depots, Arsenals and Ammunition Plants
• Co-Chair, Senate Reserve Caucus
• Steering Committee

Political positions

Voting record

Chambliss's voting record is typically that of voting in line with conservative issues. He is the primary sponsor in the United States Senate of the tax-reform proposal The Fair Tax Act (S. 1025), attracting more cosponsors than any other fundamental tax reform bill introduced. Chambliss was one of the co-sponsors of the controversial bill, (PIPA).

Although Chambliss has a conservative voting record, he has participated in bi-partisan legislation—such as the 2007 Farm Bill, the bi-partisan immigration reform (led by John McCain and Ted Kennedy) in 2007 and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. He is also the Republican leader of the Gang of 10, a bipartisan group which has worked to create a compromise surrounding the energy policy of the United States.

On March 6, 2013, Chambliss was one of 12 Senators invited to a private dinner hosted, and personally paid for, by President Obama at The Jefferson Hotel. That same night, Chambliss participated in Rand Paul's filibuster over the government’s use of lethal drone strikes—forcing the Senate to delay the expected confirmation of John O. Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

In April 2013, Chambliss was one of forty-six senators to vote against a bill which would have expanded background checks for all firearms buyers. Chambliss voted with 40 Republicans and 5 Democrats to stop the passage of the bill.

Chambliss received bipartisan criticism in 2013 after discussing the "hormone level created by nature" as a possible cause of sexual assault in the military.

In January 2014 Chambliss signed an amicus brief in support of Senator Ron Johnson's legal challenge against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's Affordable Care Act ruling.

Interest groups ratings

On abortion issues, the ratings given Chambliss as of 2007 by National Right to Life Committee and NARAL Pro-Choice America identify him as having an anti-abortion voting record. The National Right to Life Committee gave him a 100% rating, while NARAL Pro-Choice America gave him a 0% rating.

On 2nd Amendment issues, in 2008, the NRA gave Chambliss an "A+" rating and the NRA also endorsed him.

On agricultural issues, the American Farm Bureau gave Chambliss its "Friend of the Farm Bureau" award throughout his service in the U.S. Senate.

On economic issues including voting on the national budget, national spending, and taxes, in 2007, the National Tax Limitation Committee gave Chambliss a 90% rating, and the group Americans for Tax Reform gave him a 100% rating.

On civil liberties and civil rights issues, in 2007, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) gave him a 17% rating, and the NAACP gave him a 27% rating. The Human Rights Campaign gave him a 0% rating for 2005-2006 and a 20% rating for 2007-2008.

On education issues, in 2008, the Center for Education Reform, gave Chambliss a score of 9 out of 9, and called him a "real reformer", while the National Education Association gave him an "F" in 2007.

On organized labor issues, in 2007 the AFL-CIO gave Chambliss an 11% rating, and the International Foodservice Distributors Association gave him an 85% rating.

On environmental issues, in 2003 the League of Conservation Voters gave Chambliss a 0% rating.

Personal life

On May 6, 2013, Chambliss played golf in a foursome with President Obama, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), and Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. On the par three 11th hole, Chambliss made a hole in one, choking up on a five iron.

In January 2009, Georgia Trend, a prominent state business and political magazine, named Chambliss its Georgian of the Year.

Electoral history

See also: United States Senate election in Georgia, 2008

Georgia's 8th congressional district: Results 1994-2000

Year		Democratic	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%

Georgia Senator (Class II): 2002 results

Year		Democratic	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct		3rd Party	Party	Votes	Pct
2002		Max Cleland	932,422	46%		Saxby Chambliss	1,071,352	53%		Claude "Sandy" Thomas	Libertarian	27,830	1%
2008		Jim Martin	1,757,393	47%		Saxby Chambliss	1,867,093	50%		Alan Buckley	Libertarian	127,923	1%

2008 Georgia U.S. Senator general election runoff
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Saxby Chambliss (incumbent)	1,228,033	57%
	Democratic	Jim Martin	909,923	43%
Majority			318,110	15%
Turnout			2,137,956

[ Source: Wikipedia ]