Saxby Chambliss (R-GA-Senate)

Saxby Chambliss Senator Georgia

Saxby Chambliss Biography from Senate.gov

Biography of Saxby Chambliss

On December 2, 2008, Saxby Chambliss was elected to serve a second term in the United States Senate. Georgia Trend magazine, which has consistently named him one of its Most Influential Georgians, calls him “a highly visible and well-respected presence in Washington,” and says he “has a reputation as an affable but straight-talking lawmaker.” In January 2009, Georgia Trend named Chambliss its Georgian of the Year.

Chambliss is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; the Senate Rules Committee; the Senate Special Committee on Aging; and presently serves as the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Chambliss’ leadership and experience on homeland security and intelligence matters during his tenure in the House of Representatives earned him an appointment to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he steadfastly advocates for dramatically improved information sharing and human-intelligence-gathering capabilities. Chambliss’ previous role as chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security made him one of the leading congressional experts on those issues.

During the 109th Congress, Chambliss served as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and is the only senator since 1947 to have chaired a full standing Senate committee after serving in the chamber for just two years. He served as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee during the 110th and 111th Congresses.

Long before his election to Congress, Chambliss specialized in representing farmers’ legal interests in South Georgia. During his four terms in the House, Chambliss was instrumental in drafting two farm bills and reforming the federal crop insurance program.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chambliss continues Georgia’s longstanding tradition of leadership and advocacy for the state’s military installations. Following in the footsteps of former Sens. Richard B. Russell, Jr., and Sam Nunn, Chambliss has been a strong voice for Georgia’s defense industry and the military community. Throughout the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure round, Chambliss remained steadfast in defense of Georgia’s bases targeted for closure. He has also been a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life for troops and their families.

In 2008, he was the recipient of the National Guard Association’s Harry S. Truman Award, the organization’s highest honor bestowed on civilian and military leaders who demonstrate continued contributions to national defense and security.

Chambliss was first elected to Congress to represent Georgia’s 8th District in 1994. Throughout his legislative career, he has been recognized numerous times by the public and private sectors for his work on agriculture, defense, budget and national security issues. In January 2008, he was presented with the National Legislative Advocacy Award by the Naval Reserve Association for leading the effort to reduce the age at which members of the National Guard and Reserve can receive retirement pay. He is a past recipient of the Air Force Association’s W. Stuart Symington Award, the group’s top civilian honor for outstanding contributions in the field of national security, and was awarded the Reserve Officers Association’s Minuteman of the Year Award in 2005.

Chambliss is the co-chairman of the Senate Aerospace Caucus and the Senate Reserve Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Rural Health Caucus; the Juvenile Diabetes Caucus; the Caucus on Military Depots, Arsenals and Ammunition Plants; the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.

Chambliss earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Georgia in 1966, and his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1968. Chambliss and his wife, Julianne, have been married since 1966, and reside in Moultrie, Ga. They have two children and five grandchildren.

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