[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H9565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RENAMING FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN HONOR OF FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ROY 
                                ROWLAND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Norwood] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves in a period of great 
debate as to what constitutes bipartisanship. I believe that true 
bipartisanship is honorable compromise for the good of the country. If 
we search for real live models of honorable compromise, we can find no 
better example than the former Democratic member from my home State of 
Georgia.
  Congressman Roy Rowland of Dublin, GA, began a lifetime of public 
service long before coming to the House of Representatives. Roy Rowland 
spent his youth developing a keen sense of duty and honor as an Eagle 
Scout.
  Fresh out of high school, Roy entered the U.S. Army to fight in World 
War II as a sergeant in command of a machine gun crew in the European 
theater. He was a member of U.S. forces that liberated German 
concentration camps, where he learned firsthand the horrifying final 
results of intolerance.
  Roy left the Army at the end of the war with a Bronze Star for 
service in combat, and returned to educational pursuits. He graduated 
from the Medical College of Georgia in 1952 and continued what was to 
become a lifetime of public service, by providing health care to the 
people of Dublin, GA, as a family practice physician.
  Roy not only provided health care to Georgia families, he served them 
in the State legislature from 1976 until 1982, and in the year of 1983, 
Roy's dedication to serving his country brought him to the U.S. House 
of Representatives.
  In his freshman year, Congressman Rowland introduced and succeeded in 
passing legislation that stopped the illegal use of Quaaludes through 
the fraudulent prescription sales.
  In the early 1980's, the abuse of Quaaludes had reached epidemic 
proportions, and the drug was fast on its way to becoming the illegal 
drug of choice on the streets.
  Roy, I was in practice back in that period of time in the 1980's, and 
recognized then what a tremendous problem it was for our patients and 
the country, and I appreciate your efforts in removing Quaaludes.
  Today, though, the good news is that problem is history, because of 
the work of Roy Rowland.
  Congressman Rowland's efforts were not Democratic or Republican in 
nature. They addressed a pressing concern for all Americans and 
garnered true bipartisan support.
  When debate over the AIDS crisis was still locked in a state of 
misinformation and confusion and fragmentation, Roy Rowland stepped 
forward with his experience as a medical professional to provide the 
leadership this body needed to move forward.
  Congressman Rowland introduced and passed into law legislation that 
created the National Commission on AIDS, which provided America with 
the plain, scientific facts so necessary to establish sound public 
health policy to combat this killer disease.
  When the battle over health care reform was at its peak in the 103d 
Congress, Roy Rowland once again led the way in finding solutions to 
America's problems that were outside the realm of partisanship. He 
succeeded in drafting health care reform legislation through a group of 
five Republicans and five Democrats that provided coverage for 92 
percent of the American public.
  The Rowland bill did not pass during that time of heated debate and 
multiple proposals, but the blueprint Roy left us is one that should be 
carefully examined when we face contentious issues in the future.
  In his 12 years of service here in the House, Roy Rowland set a 
standard for standing firm on conviction without resorting to partisan 
attacks. He fought like a tiger on this floor, but never had an enemy 
on either side of the aisle.
  In his reelection campaigns, he was frequently personally attacked, 
but never responded in kind.
  Today, I ask for your vote on legislation that will honor and 
preserve the legacy of service that Dr. and Congressman Roy Rowland has 
left for us to follow. This bill will redesignate the Dublin Federal 
Courthouse in Dublin, GA, as the J. Roy Rowland Federal Courthouse, in 
order that the example Roy Rowland set through a lifetime of service 
should not be forgotten.
  In the spirit of true bipartisanship that our former colleague 
exemplified, I ask for your support today of this legislation.

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