Achievements
  • 2008 Best Local Politician, Best of Monterey County Weekly Readers Poll. "Weekly readers love our man in Washington, Rep. Sam Farr. From his seat on Capitol Hill, he champions Monterey County’s industry, colleges and university, and military institutions while advocating for policy change in issues that matter to locals: immigration, oceans, education and veterans’ affairs."
  • Received Perfect Record from National Breast Cancer Coalition for 2007 Priorities
  • 2008 California Wine Institute Leadership Award
  • Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund 2007 Legislative Leadership Award
  • Senator David Pryor Special Achievement Award
  • United Fresh Congressional Leadership Award
  • University of California at Santa Cruz Fiat Lux Award
  • Orden del Congreso de Colombia
  • Carlos Albizu University Pinnacle of Success Award
  • Named Environmental Hero by the League of Conservation Voters and Scored 90% for 2007 voting record
  • Grade A (96%) from NAACP for 2007 Voting Record
  • Grade A (93%) rating from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
  • Grade A+ (the highest possible grade) from the American Wilderness Coalition
  • 90 percent on League of Conservation Score Card
  • Volunteer Center National Network Council's Public Policy Award
  • First Congressional Concierge Award by the American Hotel & Motel Association
  • Legislator of the Year by the American Planning Association
  • Year of the Restaurant Award from the National Restaurant Association
  • Awarded 100 percent voting record by such diverse groups as:
    • Planned Parenthood
    • Peace Action & Peace Action West
    • Campaign for United Nations Reform
    • American Association of University Women
    • Human Rights Campaign
    • American Public Health Association
    • Center for Marine Conservation
    • Children's Defense Fund
    • League of Conservation Voters
    • Alliance for Retired Americans
    • American Association of University Women (AAUW)
  • Obtained more than $65 million in defense conversion funds to start a new California State University on the Fort Ord site.
  • Initiated tax incentives that preserve farmland for farming, not urban sprawl.
  • Brought millions of dollars to the district for local agriculture projects, including support for organic farming and research into alternatives to methyl bromide.
  • Launched initiatives to save essential fish habitat and improve support for national marine sanctuaries.
  • Authored the original Oceans Act, a version of which passed Congress and was signed into law in 2000.
  • Won an executive order giving permanent Wilderness status to the offshore rocks and islands along the entire California coast.
  • Helped maintain the Naval Postgraduate School and Defense Language Institute as premier educational institutions
  • Helped secure a Defense Department finance center that employs more than a hundred federal workers; a new University of California science research center; a new housing project for the homeless; a veterans' clinic; a business-industrial airport; two new public golf courses; 8,000 acres of new federal parkland, and a one-stop job training and employment center.
  • Helped pass a major campaign finance reform bill.
  • Forced the House of Representatives to initiate its own recycling program.
  • Fought to designate California's Route 1 as an "All American Road" - one of only six in the nation.
  • Worked to add 7,960 acres to Pinnacles National Monument.
  • Stopped the Navy from conducting practice bombing runs over the Big Sur coast.
  • Secured the funding for the National Marine Fisheries Service lab in Santa Cruz.
  • Obtained funding for construction of Hartnell's new regional health occupations training center.
  • Sam sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he serves on three Subcommittees: Agriculture, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.
  • He is a member of the House Rural Health Care Coalition.
  • He Co-chairs:
    • The Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, which seeks to raise the awareness of the importance of travel and tourism to the U.S. economy.
    • The Congressional Organic Agriculture Caucus, whose mission is to enhance availability and understanding of information related to organic products.
    • The House Oceans Caucus, which strives to improve legislation to preserve, protect and revive our oceans.
  • Sam is also a member of the following caucuses:
    • Bi-Partisan Disabilities
    • Bi-Partisan Congressional Pro-Choice
    • California Democratic Congressional Delegation
    • Congressional Arts
    • Congressional Asian Pacific American
    • Congressional Bike
    • Congressional Coast Guard
    • Congressional Coastal
    • Congressional Friends of Animals
    • Congressional Human Rights
    • Congressional Internet
    • Congressional Progressive
    • Congressional Rural Housing
    • Congressional Wildlife Refuge
    • Congressional Wine
    • Congressional Zoo and Aquarium
    • House Army
    • House Rural Health Care Coalition
    • National Marine Sanctuary
    • U.S.-Philippines
  • He is former Chair, and current member of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, one of the largest Delegations in Congress.
  • Member, House Democracy Assistance Commission.


Winning Percentages

    2006: 75.9%
    2004: 67%
    2002: 68%
    2000: 69%
    1998: 65%
    1996: 59%
    1994: 52%
    1993: 52%