Washington, D.C. - Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers, presented Dr. Robert Kraig with the Consumer Health Advocate of the Year Award at the annual Families USA Health Action conference.
The award, which has been presented every year since 1998, recognizes outstanding contributions on behalf of our nation's health care consumers. The award was presented to Kraig for his efforts to win support for comprehensive health care reform in the Wisconsin legislature.
“In a distinguished public career, Dr. Robert Kraig has utilized every forum, every medium, every opportunity to argue the benefits to residents—and the benefits to taxpayers—of health care reform in Wisconsin,” Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA said today. “We here at this conference and the people of Wisconsin are lucky to have Robert as an ally in this most important battle—the fight for universal, affordable, quality health care.”
Over the past 10 years, Dr. Kraig has played a significant role in the Wisconsin public policy arena. He is especially known for developing and leading innovative strategies to make health care reform a top issue in Wisconsin. Dr. Kraig has authored seven reports on various aspects of the health care crisis and has spoken throughout the country on reform legislation.
Before coming to Citizen Action, Dr. Kraig was Policy Director for One Wisconsin Now. From 1999-2005, he was the Political Director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Wisconsin State Council, where he helped lead SEIU’s emergence as a major player in Wisconsin politics. He also helped develop and win the passage of several policy innovations that enabled thousands of low-wage workers to form unions.
In 2007, Dr. Kraig shared (with his colleague Matt Brusky) the Progressive Innovation Award from the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.
Dr. Kraig earned a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. from the University of Georgia. He is the author of a well-regarded book, "Woodrow Wilson and the Lost World of the Oratorical Statesman" (Texas A&M Press). The book topped a Wall Street Journal list of the five best books on presidential rhetoric to read in preparation for the Obama Administration.
He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois and has lived in Wisconsin since 1989.
