US Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, a 1968 graduate of UT’s College of Law, will be on campus October 4 to talk about his eighteen years on Capitol Hill.
Chambliss will speak at noon in the Baker Donelson Classroom (Room 132) of the College of Law. Part of the Joel A. Katz–Sun Trust Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the college and SunTrust, his talk is free and open to the university community.
Chambliss served in the US House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He was elected to the US Senate in 2002 and is now serving his second term. He has announced he won’t seek re-election.
The Washington Post named Saxby and the “Gang of Six” one of the Best Leaders of 2011 for attempts to craft a bipartisan deficit reduction package. The Gang of Six included three Democrats (Senators Mark Warner of Virginia and Dick Durbin of Illinois, and former Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota) and three Republicans (Chambliss and Senators Mike Crapo of Indiana and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma).
GeorgiaTrend magazine has repeatedly named Chambliss as one of its Most Influential Georgians, calling him “a highly visible and well-respected presence in Washington” with a “reputation as an affable but straight-talking lawmaker.” In January 2009, the magazine named him its Georgian of the Year.
Chambliss has been involved in homeland security and intelligence issues during his time in Washington. He is vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Previously, while in the House, he chaired the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, which investigated intelligence issues related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Chambliss also has been involved in agricultural issues. Prior to being elected to Congress, he was a lawyer who specialized in representing farmers’ legal interests in South Georgia. While in the House, he helped draft two farm bills and reform the federal crop insurance program. He now serves on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
He also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Rules Committee, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Chambliss received the National Guard Association’s Harry S. Truman Award for contributions to national defense and security, the Naval Reserve Association’s National Legislative Advocacy Award for leading the effort to reduce the age at which members of the National Guard and Reserve can receive retirement pay, the Air Force Association’s W. Stuart Symington Award for outstanding contributions to national security, and the Reserve Officers Association’s Minuteman of the Year Award.
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CONTACT:
Tanya Brown (865-974-6788, tgbrown@utk.edu)