[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 155 (Tuesday, December 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THANKING WILLIAM NORTON FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE HOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT W. NEY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2005

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement in December 
2005, we rise to thank Mr. William Norton for over 27 years of 
outstanding service to the United States government, most recently here 
in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  Bill began his legislative career as a Senate intern while attending 
Georgetown University. Following his graduation in 1973, he served as a 
Legislative Assistant to Senator Bill Brock of Tennessee, before 
attending law school at the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
  During and after law school, Bill worked in the Congressional offices 
of Representatives Paul Trible of Virginia, John Rousselot of 
California, and Jim Jeffries of Kansas, in positions ranging from 
caseworker to Legislative Counsel.
  In 1983 Bill began a series of increasingly responsible positions as 
an appointee in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and 
George H.W. Bush. He served in the General Services Administration, the 
President's Commission on Executive Exchange, the Office of Personnel 
Management, and concluded his tenure as Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
the Air Force for Force Management and Personnel during a period that 
included the Persian Gulf War. There he received the Air Force 
Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the second highest medal for which 
Air Force civilians are eligible.
  Bill returned to service here at the House in 1995 within the Office 
of the Chief Administrative Officer, being sworn into office on the 
first day of that organization's existence. He played a key role in 
establishing the new Office of Procurement and Purchasing where he 
served in a management capacity, including a year as Acting Associate 
Administrator. The House has seen major changes in its acquisitions 
process in the ensuing years including actions such as the 
privatization of House Postal Operations and the conversion of its 
purchasing system from a paper based one to an electronic one. With 
Bill's help, we have been able to build a procurement system that is 
fair, open, competitive, auditable, and which has resulted in millions 
of dollars in savings to the taxpayers.
  On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to 
Bill for his many years of dedication and outstanding contributions to 
the U.S. Government, and in particular to the House of Representatives. 
His wit, his counsel, and his expertise in the procurement policies and 
procedures of the House will be missed by his colleagues. We wish him 
many wonderful years in fulfilling his retirement dreams.

                          ____________________