Robert “Bud” Cramer was born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1947. He earned a Bachelor’s of Arts (1969) and a Juris Doctorate (1972) from the University of Alabama School of Law. He then served in the Army and remained on reserve from 1972-1978. Cramer served as an associate district attorney in Alabama in 1973 and also held that role in private practice until 1980. Cramer was both the Assistant District Attorney from 1975-1980 and the District Attorney from 1985-1990 for the state of Alabama. He then served as representative for Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District from 1991-2009.

Cramer helped found the National Children’s Advocacy Center in 1985, which helped to synthesize efforts to aid abused children with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. He additionally helped found the Blue Dog Coalition which was a United States House of Representatives caucus of centrist Democrats in 1995. The Blue Dog Coalition focuses on national security and defense, fiscally-responsible policy, and bipartisan cooperation in the House. He was also the co-chairman and co-founder of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children’s Caucus, as well as the End-the-Poll Tax caucus, the House Anti-Terrorism Caucus, and the Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus, amongst others. Additionally, he served on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, the House Science Committee, the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Committee on Oversight & Investigations.

Cramer did not seek reelection in 2008, but did not leave governmental affairs entirely. He has spent his retirement involved in lobbying for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (located in Huntsville, Alabama), Boy Scouts of America, Northrop Grumman, Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority, United Launch Alliance, Hawkeye 360, amongst others. Most of his lobbying clients are in the aerospace and defense industries. He now resides in Huntsville, Alabama.