About NRHA

NRHA Legislative Award winners

Each year, NRHA presents Legislative Awards to members of Congress and their staff to acknowledge dedication and commitment to the health of rural Americans.

2016

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) 

Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)

Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA)

JP Mason, Office of Rep. Graves

Vonnie Hempel, Office of Rep. Loebsack

Rohini Kosoglu, Office of Sen. Bennet
 
2015

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) 

Brian Perkins, Office of Sen. Jerry Moran

Colin Brainard, Office of Rep. Lynn Jenkins
 
2014

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)

Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS)

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)

Rodney Whitlock, Office of Sen. Charles Grassley

Katherine Mayne, Office of Sen. Charles Grassley

Veronica Duron, Office of Sen. Charles Schumer
 
2013

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)

Kevin Courtois, Minority Staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee

Carla McGarvey, Office of Rep. Mike Thompson

Meghan Taira, Office of Sen. Charles Schumer
 
2012
 
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)
 
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
 
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
 
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Co-Chair of the House Rural Health Care Coalition
 
Jennifer Boyer, Office of Sen. Pat Roberts
 
Tony Clapsis, Majority Staff of the Senate Finance Committee
 
2011

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)

Melanie Rhinehart Van Tassell, Office of Rep. Earl Pomeroy

Valerie Henry, Office of Rep. Greg Walden

Rohini Ravindran, Office of Sen. Bennet
 
2010

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)

Hayden Rhudy, Senate HELP Committee, ranking member Enzi

Erik Komendant, policy director for House Blue Dog Caucus
 
2009

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AK)

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS)

Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA)

Janelle Krishnamoorthy, Office of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Michael Park, Senate Finance Committee, Minority Office
 
2008

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI)

Rep. John Peterson (R-PA)

Courtney Rowe, Rural Outreach, Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee

Erin Tuggle, Offices of Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
 
2007

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.)

Lindsey Henjum, Office of Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Jeff Vorberger, Office of Rep. John Peterson (R-PA)
 
2006

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)

Ashley Thompson, Senate Finance Committee (R)

Melanie Rhinehart, Office of Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
 
2005

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD)

Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE)

Peggie Rice, Office of Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Valerie Henry, Office of Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)
 
2004

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE)

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)

Bruce Lesley, Office of Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

Kim Keymer, Office of Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS)
 
2003

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC)

Adam Gluck, Office of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Michelle Spence, Office of Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE)
 
2002

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Rep. John Peterson (R-PA)

Lisa Kidder, Office of Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)

Cindy Brown, Office of Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
 
2001

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

Rep. John Tanner (D-TN)

Rep. Wes Watkins (R-OK)

Neleen Eisinger, Office of Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Linda Rouse, Office of Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY)

Linda Fishman, House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee (R)

Chris Pollack, Office of Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA)

Special Recognition:

Claude Earl Fox, MD, administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration

Wayne Myers, MD, former director, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
 
2000

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Collective Award:

Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR)

Rep. Jo Anne Emerson (R-MO)

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC)

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS)

Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA)

Rep. Charlie Stenholm (D-TX)

Pat Bousliman, Office of Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Serena Lowe, Office of Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)

Special Recognition:

Rural Health Panel, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)
 
1999

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA)

Sahira Rafiullah, Office of Sen. Thomas Daschle (D-SD)

David Gillies, Office of Rep. Glenn Poshard (D-IL)

Special Recognition Award:

Mary Wakefield/Capitol Area Rural Health Roundtable
 
1998

Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY)

Rep. Glenn Poshard (D-IL)

Tom Walsh, Office of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Christine Pellerine, Office of Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX)
 
1997

Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WV)

Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE)
 
1996

Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-KS)

Rep. Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D-AR)

Ted Totman, Office of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Heidi Cashman, Office of Rep. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
 
1995
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Rep. L.F. Payne (D-VA)

Rep. Pat Williams (D-MT)

Carrie Billy, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

Rima Cohen, Office of Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD)

Susan Nestor, Senate Finance Committee

Marty Sieg-Ross, MD, Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee

Maureen Testoni, Office of Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Elliot Wiener, Office of Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Eric Fox, Office of Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX)

Corinne Hudleston, House Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations
 
1994

Sen. Thomas Daschle (D-SD)

Kate Kellenberg, Senate Special Committee on Aging

Lisa Potetz, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
 
1993

Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-WI)

Van Dunn, MD, Office of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)

Rebecca Tice, Office of Rep. Charlie Stenholm (D-TX)
 
1992

None given as the Policy Institute was not held due to the Annual Conference being held in Washington, D.C.
 
1991

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)

Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI)

Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-TX)

Jane Williams, Office of Rep. Tom Tauke (R-IA)
 
1990

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Rep. J.J. “Jake” Pickle (D-TX)
 
1989

Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)
 
1988

Sen. Quentin N. Burdick (D-ND)

Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS)

Sen. Dave Durenberger (R-MN)

Rep. Mike L. Synar (D-OK)

Rep. Thomas J. Tauke (R-IA)
 
No legislative awards were given prior to 1998.