Consumer Federation of America history

By 1969, with the help of board members, Angevine had persuaded 140 groups to affiliate with the federation.

When she retired from CFA in 1973, she left behind a federation with a solid organizational foundation and much credibility.

1975. “Winning Friends: When Carol Foreman Talks Consumerism, Congressman Listen.” Wall Street Journal (April 9): 1+.

1976. “A Lobbyist for Consumers.” New York Times (November 31): III-7.

In 1977, Foreman was appointed assistant secretary in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and was succeeded as CFA executive director by Kathleen O’Reilly.

In early 1980, O’Reilly left CFA to run for Congress—she later headed the Wisconsin Citizen Utility Board (CUB) for many years—and was replaced by Stephen Brobeck, who has run the federation since then.

1982. “Lobbying and Consumer Federation of America.” In Erma Angevine, ed., Consumer Activists: They Made a Difference (pp.

1988. “Brobeck’s Battle for Consumers Moves to Higher Level.” Plain Dealer (September 8): C-4.

For the decade after he retired from the United States Senate in 1994, consumer hero Howard Metzenbaum lobbied his former Senate colleagues as honorary chairman of the federation.

Register also worked closely with Brobeck and Cleveland leaders to develop America Saves, a campaign launched in 2001 to help low- and moderate-income Americans save more effectively.

2005. “A Measure of Media Bias.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 120, no.

In 2008, Barry Zigas, who had served many years as senior vice president in charge of low-income housing at Fannie Mae, became CFA’s housing and housing finance leader.

But during the George W. Bush administration, which followed, a new wave of congressional consumer reform began to build, cresting in 2010.