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Mr. Walter Scott, Jr.
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Hon. Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr.
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Hon. Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr.

Mr. Cramer retired from service in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, after 18 years representing Alabama's 5th District. During that time he served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Science Committee, the Appropriations Committee, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He was on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, the Transportation Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee and the Science, Commerce, Justice and State Appropriations Subcommittee. While on the Intelligence Committee he was Chairman of the Intelligence Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. In 1994, he was a founding Member of the House Blue Dogs, an influential group of 51 conservative lawmakers, and he was a co-chairman of the group. Congressman Cramer was known for his low key effective leadership and for his bipartisan relationships with House and Senate Members and their staff and Committee staff.

Mr. Cramer is recognized for his expertise in defense, aerospace, intelligence, transportation and criminal justice issues. In 1998, the Minority Leader of the House appointed him to the Board of the Open World Program of the Library of Congress. This innovative program allows for emerging leaders from Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Republics to come to American communities to exchange information, insight and experiences. Cramer has been a tireless advocate for NASA and the National Science Foundation. He co-chaired in the U.S. Congress, the Missile Defense Caucus, the House Senate TVA caucus and co-founded the Anti-Terrorism caucus and the caucus for Missing and Exploited Children.

Prior to election to the U.S. Congress, Mr. Cramer served as the elected District Attorney for Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. During that time he started a pioneering program called the National Children's Advocacy Center, which provides comprehensive help for abused children. Today there are over 650 programs in all 50 states and several foreign countries that are modeled after the Madison County Program. For this work he was named National Public Citizen of the Year “by the National Association of Social Workers. The Washington Post called him a "pioneering District Attorney" in several articles praising this innovative Program.

Congressman Cramer holds a B.A. Degree and a J.D. Degree from the University of Alabama, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Alabama, Huntsville.