[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 14, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1614-H1623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE CHARLIE 
         NORWOOD, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. 
Res. 159) and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 159

       Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
     the death of the Honorable Charlie Norwood, a Representative 
     from the State of Georgia.
       Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House as 
     the Speaker may designate, together with such Members of the 
     Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral.
       Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be 
     authorized and directed to take such steps as may be 
     necessary for carrying out the provisions of these 
     resolutions and that the necessary expenses in connection 
     therewith be paid out of applicable accounts of the House.
       Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to 
     the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as 
     a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 minutes of time to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) and thank him for arranging for this 
resolution to be heard at this time today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we lost a true champion in the House of 
Representatives on yesterday: Charles Norwood from Georgia. Charlie, as 
he was known by most of us here, was truly a friend across party lines 
and across State lines. He was a true patriot. He served in the dental 
services in the U.S. Army in the combat zone of Vietnam.
  He returned to a private dental practice in Georgia, and then in the 
election cycle of 1994 was elected to this House of Representatives. He 
came with a passion for many things. Health care was at the very top of 
his list. Education was very shortly thereafter. And he worked on both 
of those issues with all of his heart.
  He inspired many people in this House because he was indeed 
passionate about everything that he did. If he was your friend, you 
knew he was your friend. If you were on the opposite side of an issue 
from him, he let you know that as well, but he was still your friend.
  All of us watched as we observed what had been diagnosed in 1998 as 
an incurable disease. And following that diagnosis, he underwent lung 
transplant surgery. That was a process that most of us probably would 
have had great difficulty undergoing. But Charlie did it with courage. 
He rebounded with the same kind of determination

[[Page H1615]]

and willingness to go forward in spite of the inconveniences that that 
brought to him.
  We saw him with his oxygen tank, and we saw him on his little scooter 
as he rode around the Capitol on his way over here and back and forth 
to votes. Throughout it all, he maintained his good humor, he 
maintained his zest for life. Charlie Norwood is someone who will truly 
be missed.

                              {time}  1640

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Deal and 
members of the delegation for bringing this resolution before us as a 
tribute to our fallen colleague, Mr. Norwood.
  More than anything else, Congressman Norwood was a warrior. He fought 
for his beliefs with passion and conviction, and he fought for the 
people of his district and for the people of Georgia who loved him.
  He was awarded two Bronze Stars for his bravery on behalf of our 
Nation during the Vietnam war, and he fought courageously for patient 
rights right here on the floor of the House of Representatives.
  In fact, his last official act was to reintroduce the Patients' Bill 
of Rights on Monday, a bill he coauthored with John Dingell. Charlie 
Norwood, this good man, this son of Georgia, fought a good fight. He 
was a warrior to the end.
  The thoughts and prayers of all of the Members of Congress, and 
especially the members of the Georgia delegation, are with his wife 
Gloria and his two sons, Charles and Carlton, their family and his many 
grandchildren. I hope they will find comfort in knowing that 
Congressman Charlie Norwood made a lasting contribution not just to the 
State of Georgia, but to the Nation and to all of us as Members of this 
body. We are more than lucky, we are very blessed to have known him as 
a friend and as a colleague. He will be deeply missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I would yield 3 minutes to our 
Georgia colleague (Mr. Gingrey).
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, Charlie Norwood was a very successful 
dentist in my hometown of Augusta, Georgia. I didn't know Charlie at 
that time because I had long since moved away.
  But as a practicing physician in Marietta, Georgia, as an OB/GYN, 
several years ago I went to the annual meeting of the Georgia OB/GYN 
Society to hear Dr. Charlie Norwood talk about the Patients' Bill of 
Rights. Physicians across Georgia and across this country were 
concerned with managed care and HMOs and liability and that sort of 
thing.
  And, Mr. Speaker, when I heard Dr. Norwood speak to my colleagues, 
physicians about this issue, and them, in turn, including myself, give 
him a standing ovation, I want to tell you, Mr. Speaker, and I never 
did tell Charlie this, but that was an inspiration to me to want to 
some day have the opportunity, and thank God that I did, to follow in 
that walk that he walked.
  What a great Member of this body and what a fierce competitor and a 
fair competitor, Mr. Speaker. As my colleague on the other side of the 
aisle, the distinguished John Lewis, knows well, Charlie would fight 
for something he believed in but in a very respectful way. And he 
thought about others before himself.
  An example, Mr. Speaker, is that just in this last election cycle, 
when Charlie was suffering so much, as Representative Deal has just 
mentioned, he didn't think about himself. He won his reelection with 67 
percent of the vote. And it wasn't that he couldn't campaign because of 
his illness. He was working all that time for another colleague in a 
very competitive district. He was essentially running that other 
campaign. That is the kind of guy Charlie Norwood was, and the kind of 
fellow that we will all remember here on both sides of the aisle in 
this great House of Representatives.
  He was a friend, he was a colleague. He was a fighter. He was a 
fighter for patients' rights. He was a fighter for students, as his 
work on the Education and Workforce Committee, the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, he is somebody that we can all emulate.
  And I just want to say to his wife Gloria, to his two sons, Carlton 
and Charles, Jr., and to the four grandchildren and to the Norwood 
family, we are praying for you. We want to uplift you. We will be with 
you tomorrow, but we know, as you do, that Charlie is in heaven right 
now, and God has accepted him in open arms and saying, well done, my 
good and faithful servant.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Scott).
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, to my distinguished colleagues 
from Georgia and other Members of Congress who are here, this is indeed 
a sad occasion.
  Charlie Norwood led an extraordinary life. He was a combat veteran. 
He was a dentist. He pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, truly a 
son of the South, a son of Georgia.
  He is a person that cared about all of the people of Georgia. Let me 
give you an example, if I may. I remember when I was serving in the 
Georgia legislature as a State senator, and we needed some help for the 
Morehouse School of Medicine's National Primary Care Center. The person 
that led the fight up here to secure the Federal dollars for the 
Morehouse School of Medicine's Primary National Care Center was Charlie 
Norwood. And we thank him for that.
  Mr. Speaker, as I think of Charlie Norwood, and I think of so many of 
the great debates and the battles that we have had up here that we have 
shared, I am reminded of a great conversation that took place between 
two great men, Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee. It was at a time when 
this Nation was going through its great Civil War and how to fix that. 
That conversation went like this. Robert E. Lee said, it is not 
incumbent upon us to complete the task. And Abraham Lincoln said, nor 
are we free to desist from doing all we possibly can.
  That was the essence of Charlie Norwood. We might not have to 
complete this task, to make America a better place, but neither are we 
free to desist from doing all we possibly can.
  Charlie, we appreciate you. You fought the good fight. You stayed the 
course. And for you, God has put up an extraordinary crown of 
righteousness. We thank you, and we thank God for passing our way.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to 
my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Price).
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, America, the State of Georgia and 
this House of Representatives have lost a great public servant, an 
uncommon leader, and a proud patriot.
  I am profoundly saddened by the passing of Congressman Charlie 
Norwood, a gentleman who selflessly served the people of Georgia and 
this House for more than 12 years.
  Charlie spent his entire life helping others as a soldier, as a 
dentist, as a legislator. He served valiantly in the defense of our 
Nation in the Medical Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in 
Vietnam. He returned home to serve his community in Augusta as a 
dentist. And for 12 years, he was a faithful servant to the people of 
Georgia in his district as a Member of Congress.
  In Congress he was a passionate supporter of our military and of our 
veterans. He was a tireless advocate for patients and patient centered 
health reform. And he never forgot for whom he was to work in 
Washington, his constituents.
  Congressman Norwood was a dear friend to me. His friendship and his 
perspective and his guidance in this House are things that I will 
always cherish. Anyone who knew Charlie knew that he was as tough as 
they come and he always stood up for what he believed in. Rarely, 
rarely in any walk of life are we privileged to come to know someone 
who stood for his principles as strongly as Charlie Norwood. His legacy 
in the House of Representatives will be one of integrity, one of vigor, 
and one of loyalty.
  Congressman Norwood's devotion to this body and to our country will 
be sorely missed, but his legacy will never be forgotten. And I shall 
never forget that wry smile and that twinkle in his eye. What a hero.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing our deepest 
sympathies to Charlie's wife Gloria, his family and his friends.

                              {time}  1650

  And while we mourn the loss of this great patriot, we celebrate his 
lifetime

[[Page H1616]]

of noble and heroic service and we thank God for giving us the gift of 
the life of Charlie Norwood.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ 
minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of the fine colleagues 
that we have who are from Georgia for giving each and every one of us a 
chance to speak. I am not from Georgia, and I know he was your favorite 
son, but I do want to give this as my chance to honor this very 
distinguished Member of Congress, Charlie Norwood.
  I rise, Mr. Speaker, today with a heavy heart but also real 
admiration for the life of this dear colleague of ours, Charlie 
Norwood. And my heart as well as all of our hearts go out to his family 
members, to his community, and to all of the people whose life he has 
touched.
  I had the privilege of serving on the Energy and Commerce Committee 
with Charlie for several years and had the opportunity to work with him 
on initiatives in the Health Subcommittee. And though he and I come 
from vastly different places on the ideological spectrum, we were often 
able to see eye to eye on health policy as two health professionals 
serving in Congress.
  I was proud to work with him in co-chairing the School Health and 
Safety Caucus, where we used the opportunity to spotlight ways in which 
we could improve the health of children through school-based 
initiatives. I was also honored to work with him on legislation to 
promote children's dental health.
  I think we can all agree that Charlie will be remembered as reliably 
conservative, but also as an independent thinker. His leadership on 
establishing a Patients' Bill of Rights was exemplary of his 
willingness to go out on a limb for something in which he truly 
believed. He introduced that bill shortly before I came to Congress, 
and the momentum for passage of the Patients' Bill of Rights was one of 
the main reasons that I was eager to serve on this Health Subcommittee, 
which he belonged to.
  I admired his characteristic patient-centered approach to health care 
policy. It wasn't popular with some of our colleagues, and the 
President flat-out warned that his bill would be vetoed. But Charlie 
continued forward and was looking forward to an opportunity to finally 
pass the Patients' Bill of Rights in its original form in this, the 
110th Congress.
  So I want to take this opportunity to express again my condolences to 
the Norwood family and to thank them all for the tremendous years, 12 
years, of service that they allowed their Charlie to serve with us all 
in Congress. And I thank my colleagues again.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to 
another Georgia colleague (Mr. Linder).
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding his time.
  I met Charlie Norwood over 30 years ago. We were both young dentists 
in Georgia. He was the president of the Georgia Dental Association, and 
I was a young, newly elected dentist in the Georgia legislature. And 
his enthusiasm blew me away. Irrespective of what he was talking about, 
he only had two gears: neutral and full speed ahead. And his enthusiasm 
would capture you. And the bulldoggedness, the way he would put his 
teeth on an issue and fight for it without ever backing up was 
astonishing to me. Charlie did not have a coy bone in his body. From 
the day you met Charlie, you knew what he stood for on whatever the 
issue was.
  Respectfully, he and I differed on the Patients' Bill of Rights. We 
spent many hours talking about it. He was adamant that I was wrong and 
he was right. But at no point did he ever raise his voice or show any 
disrespect for a position that I had taken that was different from his.
  Charlie loved this institution. He loved the give-and-take of it. He 
loved the formality of it. We talked one day if he ever had any notion 
of running for the Senate, and he said he would never survive there. He 
would never survive not getting something done every day.
  He treated this institution that he loved with great dignity. When he 
fought his fights, you knew he was going to fight fair. And for 30-plus 
years when I have been able to visit with him or know him on this issue 
or that, I always walked away from each encounter saying what a nice 
man, what a nice man.
  For Gloria and the family, you are in our prayers. A psalmist has 
written that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and those who are 
crushed in spirit He saves.
  May God give you peace.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barrow).
  Mr. BARROW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I rise this afternoon to remember one of our fellow delegation 
members, the Honorable Charlie Norwood. I know that many Members of 
this body served with Charlie much longer than I did, but unlike them, 
I think I may be the only Member here with the distinction of once 
actually having been represented by Charlie as one of his constituents.
  Charlie Norwood was an accomplished and a tireless legislator who had 
stands on issues that ran the political spectrum. And while I may not 
have agreed with him on every issue, I always admired his spirit, and I 
say that as a former constituent and as a colleague.
  As anyone who knew him will tell you, Charlie cared deeply for the 
State of Georgia and for the people he represented in Congress for over 
12 years.
  In this Chamber and among this delegation, there is no question that 
Charlie Norwood will be missed and his absence will be long felt here 
in Washington and back home in Georgia.
  My prayers remain with Congressman Norwood's wife, Gloria, and with 
their entire family.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the minority leader (Mr. Boehner).
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Georgia for 
yielding.
  And I come to remember my good friend and our good friend, Charlie 
Norwood.
  I met Charlie in October of 1994 when he was a candidate for Congress 
for the first time and had dinner with him one night before we went off 
on a 16-city tour. I didn't think it would ever end. But at dinner that 
night, I looked at Charlie and I asked, Why are you running for 
Congress?
  And he said, That OSHA, that OSHA, they did this to me and did this 
to me.
  And for every day that Charlie Norwood served in this Congress, he 
was all over OSHA, to have rules and regulations that met the straight-
face test.
  I was the chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, and 
Charlie was one of my subcommittee Chairs for the 5 years that I was 
the chairman. Clearly the most difficult member I have ever had to try 
to manage. And whether it was the Patients' Bill of Rights, whether it 
was OSHA, or a host of other issues, when Charlie got that bone in his 
mouth, you could not get it out of his mouth. He was the most dogged, 
persistent Member I have ever worked with. As a matter of fact, I might 
even say he might be the most dogged persistent person that I have ever 
met with because when Charlie picked up a cause, he was never going to 
leave it alone until he accomplished his goal.
  And I am sure that Charlie is watching over us today, wondering why 
the Patients' Bill of Rights isn't law. Mr. Linder just talked about 
it. Charlie fought about this on more occasions than you can ever 
imagine, as did John and a lot of other Members. But Charlie truly 
believed in that piece of legislation. He put his heart and soul into 
it.
  We are going to miss Charlie around here. We are going to miss that 
dogged persistence that he brought to this floor every day and in the 
committee rooms every day.
  But to Gloria and his family, our prayers are with you.
  And, Charlie, may your soul rest in peace.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Charlie 
Norwood, a great servant of the people of Georgia.
  By now you have all heard about his life, so I won't spend much time 
on his extensive biography. But I do want to bring attention to what he 
would have

[[Page H1617]]

wanted us to focus on above and beyond his legislative accomplishments, 
and that is his family.

                              {time}  1700

  I did not get an opportunity to get to know Charlie, but I do know 
enough about him to understand what was most important to him. He was a 
man of high character and values, and so his family was very important. 
So I would like to mention and send my deepest condolences to Charlie's 
beautiful wife, Gloria, and his two sons, Charles and Carlton, who 
enabled him and made it possible for him to serve so honorably, 
particularly at times when clearly he must have not been feeling well. 
But he still persisted with his duties and responsibilities as a 
Congressman.
  It takes a lot to just walk these Halls from the office to the 
Capitol and back again, and he walked as long as he could, and then he 
started taking his wheelchair. So the man had a spirit to prevail over 
whatever obstacles might have befallen him. That is a spirit that each 
one of us can learn from and live by and do the best that we can, like 
he did.
  So in addition to just being a great human being, there were a number 
of legislative accomplishments. I will not go over those either, but I 
will say as a member of the Armed Services Committee, that I want to 
bring attention to his military service. He was awarded the Combat 
Military Badge and two Bronze Stars for his service in Vietnam. While I 
did not always or often agree with him on the issues, by all accounts 
he served his State and his district well.
  Georgia and this Nation have lost a great man, and I am honored to 
have this opportunity to recognize his contributions today.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 3 minutes 
to our colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Georgia for 
yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, Charlie Norwood was a friend of mine, he was a friend of 
all Georgians, and he was a friend of every freedom loving person in 
this world, because he fought hard for you.
  He was one of the original Republican revolutionaries that was 
elected in 1994, and he never really lost that spirit, that 
conservative fever. He agreed with Jefferson that the government that 
governs least, governs best, and he fought for 12 years in this House 
to make sure that regulations on business and individuals' lives were 
at a minimum. In fact, sometimes he called the government's reach into 
our lives oppressive.
  Once Charlie was quoted in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, as 
saying, ``If I want to put bad wiring in my house and burn my family 
down, that is my problem, not the government's.''
  That was typical of Charlie. He was a witty warrior. When he joined 
me in the Voting Rights Act, trying to modernize section 5, the renewal 
of the Voting Rights Act, I had come up with two amendments. One of 
them had to do with putting the whole country under it, going through 
the same scrutiny.
  I met with Charlie and Charlie said, ``Lynn, I want the modernization 
amendment to be the Norwood amendment.'' I said, ``That's fine, 
Charlie, but why?'' He said, ``Because I can do a better job than you 
can.'' That is the way he felt, and that is exactly the way he was.
  That is just one example of why I called Charlie my ``foxhole 
buddy.'' When Charlie Norwood said he was with you, he was with you 
until the bitter end. You had his word that he would have your back, 
and his word was his bond.
  His loyalty and love of country defined him throughout his life. The 
Valdosta High School football star went on to become a dentist who took 
his skills to the front lines of Vietnam, where he served his fellow 
soldiers and his Nation with valor. He served in Vietnam for a year and 
obtained the rank of captain and won two Bronze Stars.
  For the next four decades, Charlie and his loving wife Gloria made 
their home Augusta, where they raised two children, Carlton and 
Charles, and he served his community with a smile on his face when he 
talked about his grandchildren.
  So the thoughts and prayers of all Georgians go out to the Norwood 
family tonight, to let that family know that we are appreciative of the 
time that they allowed Charlie to come up here and to serve with us, to 
bring joy to our hearts and thoughts to our minds of what we could do 
to make this country a better place to live in.
  The one thing that I want to close with is this, Mr. Speaker: In all 
of the discussions that I got into with Charlie Norwood about 
legislation he constantly said, ``Lynn, we have got to do what's 
right.'' That was his motto, to do what was right, and he did. It was 
an honor to call him friend.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop).
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to stand this afternoon to give some 
remarks about our colleague and dear friend, Charlie Norwood.
  Shakespeare wrote that all the world is a stage and all the men and 
women merely players. Each has his entrance and his exit. One man in 
his time may play many parts.
  So it was with Charlie. Charlie was a son, a son to Charlie Norwood, 
Sr., and Lola. He was a husband to Gloria. He was a father to Charlie 
and Carlton and a grandfather. And he was a cousin to two very, very 
wonderful ladies down in Valdosta who said that they often prayed for 
Cousin Charlie, because they just couldn't understand how he became a 
Republican.
  Charlie was a student. Charlie got his bachelor's. He studied 
dentistry. He was a soldier. He served his country. He was in Vietnam. 
But Charlie was a public servant. Charlie believed in serving 
leadership, and he lived it.
  Charlie really was great, because measured by the standards of Jesus, 
that he who is great among you shall be your servant, and he who is 
greatest shall be servant unto all, Charlie measured up.
  Charlie was a fighter. Charlie fought hard for any principle in which 
he believed. He didn't give up, as you heard, on the Patients' Bill of 
Rights. He was a fierce competitor. I often didn't agree with him, but 
I had to admire his tenacity, because he was a fighter. And all the way 
to the end, Charlie fought. He fought for life.
  We are all blessed, really blessed, to have known Charlie. And Gloria 
was devoted to Charlie. She took leave from her duties as a member of 
the Congressional Club to attend to Charlie, to give Charlie her best 
efforts in his last days.
  But Charlie served well. He really embodied God's minute. I have only 
just a minute, only 60 seconds in it; forced upon me, can't refuse it; 
didn't seek it, didn't choose, did it; I must suffer if I lose it, give 
account if I abuse it; just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in 
it.
  Thank you, Charlie. You used your minute well.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Thank you, Congressman Deal, for 
coordinating this tribute to a patriot.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute and remembrance of my dear 
friend and our colleague Charlie Norwood. Upon my election 5 years ago, 
two of the first people to offer guidance to me were Charlie and Gloria 
Norwood. As a Member of Congress from an adjoining district, I learned 
firsthand of Charlie's dedication to the public and his love of 
America. Gloria has been a model First Lady for the district, 
enthusiastically assisting Charlie in his life of public service.
  Charlie was a committed health care practitioner, a loving family man 
and a passionate public servant. He spent his entire life fighting for 
the people of his beloved Georgia.
  True to his character, Charlie fought to the end, despite 
debilitating health conditions. He was always in good spirits, even 
though we knew he was exerting extraordinary efforts to fully represent 
his constituents. He reminded me so much of my predecessor, the late 
Congressman Floyd Spence, a fellow courageous lung transplant 
recipient.
  I had the pleasure of serving with Charlie on the Education and 
Workforce Committee. I am honored to, this

[[Page H1618]]

year, be the Republican ranking member on the Workforce Protection 
Subcommittee, which Charlie ably chaired for three terms.
  In Congress, Charlie was an ardent advocate for health care reform 
and patients' rights. He was a good friend and strong supporter of the 
employees of the Savannah River Nuclear Laboratory. I was proud to work 
closely with him in our efforts to create a MOX facility for the 
transformation of plutonium waste at the Savannah River site.

                              {time}  1710

  Charlie is survived by his wife Gloria; his two sons, Charles and 
Carlton; and four grandchildren. Roxanne and I join with his colleagues 
in mourning his passing and send our prayers to his family, staff and 
constituents. May God bless the Norwood family at this time, and may 
they know that he made a significant and positive difference for 
America.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 
minute to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the young lady 
from California, Speaker  Nancy Pelosi.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and 
having this Special Order to honor the life and service of our 
colleague Congressman Norwood.
  It is with great sadness that we received the news first of his 
illness and then of his passing. We had hoped to have an occasion such 
as this before he died so he could hear the praise of his colleagues on 
the floor. I know that many conveyed their good wishes to him 
personally.
  He left us in a very dignified way. He decided that he would be, as 
he lived, surrounded by his family at home so that he could die in 
peace.
  Congressman Norwood, as we all know, as our minority leader 
mentioned, he had his own particular style, plain spoken, very 
eloquent, and he was a passionate public servant. He served our country 
and his own community in Vietnam in service to our country and in the 
Congress of the United States.
  Again, in this Congress he did his best to serve his constituents, 
his conscience, and his country.
  Again, he faced the end of his life and his sickness with great 
bravery and dignity.
  Our thoughts and prayers, I have conveyed to his wife Gloria, but I 
say again on this floor that our thoughts and prayers are with Gloria 
and his two sons, Charles and Carlton, and his four grandchildren. I 
know that I can speak for all Members of Congress when we convey our 
sympathy to them. I hope that it is a comfort to them that so many 
people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton).
  (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to read a part of a letter. 
It is dated February 8, 2007. It is to myself. It is from Congressman 
Norwood. It is the last official correspondence that I received from 
him. It says:
  ``Dear Joe.
  ``When you receive this letter, you will know of my return to Georgia 
after my decision to forego further medical treatment in the 
Washington, D.C., area for my ongoing battle with non-small-cell 
cancer. Needless to say, I hope things turn out for the best.
  ``I expect to be unavailable for my duties for the foreseeable 
future. I do, however, expect my staff to continue working on several 
issues, even if I can't be there in person.
  ``I will have my staff working on the Living Organ Kidney Donation 
Clarification Act (H.R. 710). This bipartisan, bicameral bill addresses 
the issue of paired transplantation, which is a way to solve the 
dilemma faced by people who want to become living organ donors for a 
family member or friend, but are unable to do so because they are 
biologically incompatible. In the process of kidney-paired donor 
transplants, a pair consisting of a kidney transplant candidate and an 
incompatible living donor is matched with another such incompatible 
pair to enable two transplants that otherwise would not occur. This 
bill is widely supported, has no known opposition, doesn't cost a dime, 
will save Medicare money, and will save thousands of lives. I urge you 
to work with Mr. Inslee, Chairman Dingell, and my staff to move this 
important bill forward.''
  I have checked with Chairman Dingell. He has assured me that he is 
prepared to move the bill if it is as he says it is. Knowing Charlie, 
always telling the truth, it is. So hopefully, very soon on the floor 
of this body, we will have the Charlie Norwood Living Organ Kidney 
Donation Clarification Act.
  There are so many stories, but I want to tell one Norwood story. 
Charlie asked me and now my wife, then my girlfriend, Terri, to go down 
to the Masters Golf Tournament. I am not golfer and so I discouraged 
him from asking me. He said you may not like it but Terri will.
  So we got to go down to the tournament, and on the first day we went 
to the tournament, Charlie was telling me how plugged in he was with 
all the folks at the Masters and how many people he knew and really he 
was really a major figure out there.
  So we pulled up to the driveway to go up to the main clubhouse that 
you have seen on TV, and the guard at the gate said, May I help you? He 
said, I am Congressman Norwood, and I have got Congressman Barton of 
Texas, and we want to go up to the clubhouse. The guard said, Well, 
Congressman, you are not on the list. He said, I am not on the list? 
And the guard said, No, Congressman, you are not. So I started giving 
Charlie a hard time from the backseat.
  I said, Charlie, I thought you were a big player around here; you 
cannot even get up to the clubhouse. So Norwood started giving me a 
hard time, and I started hoorahing the guard, and he said, Wait a 
minute; he said you are a Congressman from Texas? And I said, Yes, sir. 
He said, Congressman Norwood, you park right up there by the clubhouse.
  So, for that one day, Charlie Norwood had a better parking spot than 
Tiger Woods or Arnold Palmer or any of the members of the Masters golf 
course.
  He is in heaven now and my guess is he has got the best parking spot 
in heaven, too. God bless you, Charlie Norwood, and God bless you, 
Gloria, and God bless all your family members. You will dearly, dearly 
be missed.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from 
Georgia.
  I rise in support of the resolution and to pay tribute to my friend 
and fellow member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Dr. Charlie 
Norwood.
  Charlie came to Congress after my first term as part of the class of 
1994, and it seems a year did not go by that we did not serve on a 
committee together.
  I honorably served with him at first on the Education and Workforce 
Committee and then later on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Charlie and I shared a passion for health care issues, and I 
particularly enjoyed our work together on the Health Subcommittee.
  A dentist by training, Charlie was devoted to improving the health 
care system, not only for providers like himself but also for the 
patients that rely on our health care system to keep them well.
  The phrase Patients' Bill of Rights would not have been coined if 
Charlie and our chairman, John Dingell, had not teamed up to give 
patients an ability to fight back against the HMOs that too often make 
health care decisions based on the bottom line, rather than a 
physician's recommendation.
  I note Charlie's last legislative act before leaving Washington and 
returning to Georgia was to reintroduce the Patients' Bill of Rights in 
this Congress as H.R. 979.
  There is no doubt in my mind that this legislation will be Charlie's 
legacy and will honor him and his work in this esteemed Chamber by 
finally making his vision of patients' rights a reality.
  Last July 4 recess, Charlie and I joined two other members of the 
Health Subcommittee as we visited the impressive trauma facilities 
utilized by our brave military doctors to treat our wounded service 
personnel in Balad and Baghdad, Iraq and Kabul, Afghanistan.
  I knew there was a good reason Charlie and I got along, despite being 
different parties, but I also realized that

[[Page H1619]]

trip that Charlie and I shared a lot of interests, and one of them in 
firearms. I met few people with more enthusiasm for firearms than 
Charlie Norwood.
  In fact, I will mention that how he cared about people, and Chairman 
Deal understands that, he presented a book to those of us who went. It 
has a picture of Charlie Norwood with a .50-caliber machine gun in a 
helicopter we were flying in, but Charlie was not really happy because 
he was not sitting behind that .50-caliber machine gun.
  Charlie was a good doctor and honorable Member of Congress and a 
great friend. He always thought of others, and I will always remember 
him for his friendship for these years. Our thoughts are with his 
family, and his wife Gloria has become a good friend of my wife Helen 
through the Congressional Spouses, and I will miss Charlie, and we all 
will. We honor his memory and his contributions to our country.

                              {time}  1720

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett).
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I too stand in favor of 
the resolution for my friend Charlie Norwood.
  When I first started running in 2002, Charlie was one of the first 
guys to grab me by the hand, introduce me to people, and be my friend. 
I remember my first day in Congress Charlie coming up to me and said, 
``Boy, you just hang with me, I will take good care of you.'' And he 
did.
  He always told me that the Augusta side of Georgia was mine and the 
North Augusta side of South Carolina was his; that no river or border 
could keep us apart. And it was true. And the things he did for me, the 
things he did for South Carolina, for Georgia, for this Nation will 
always be remembered.
  Charlie Norwood was a good friend of mine, and we will be sad and we 
will cry, but in heaven they are screaming, ``We love you, Charlie.'' 
God bless you.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ 
minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall).
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I didn't know Charlie well; I only met 
Charlie once before I came to Congress and then had a few occasions to 
work with him in Congress. I certainly knew his reputation. He was a 
great advocate for veterans and a great advocate for patients' rights 
and, on some subjects, willing to buck his leadership in order to 
advance the cause of patients' rights, and it was something I 
appreciated a great deal.
  As Charlie grew sicker, from time to time I would seek him out on the 
floor and ask him how he was doing. He was always upbeat about it, he 
was always positive about it. He was never down and sad. He would be 
very frank about what he was able to do and where he was and what his 
challenges were, but he was always positive about his circumstances. 
His circumstance was awful, as everybody knows. He fought this disease 
for years and gradually grew worse, and we were all worried about him.
  So one of the things I did just trying to get to know Charlie a 
little better is I went to his Web site and looked up a little bit 
about him, and was struck by the description that I found of his 
military service in Vietnam. And I thought I would like to just read 
that; and many people who are watching this won't have an opportunity 
to hear this about Charlie, though everybody knows, I think, that he 
served in the military.
  But specifically during his tour in Vietnam, Charlie Norwood 
participated in experimental military dental practices that became 
standard procedure for the Armed Forces after the war. He was one of 
the first participants in the Army outreach program to deliver dentists 
to forward fire bases in lieu of transferring patients to rear 
treatment areas. I am not sure if the rest of the dentists and the 
doctors appreciated that very much; it meant that you were going into 
harm's way a little bit more than they otherwise would.
  Norwood also provided some of the first field-based dental treatment 
of military guard dogs, and assisted in nondental trauma care in Mobile 
Army Surgical Hospitals, MASH, units. In recognition of his service 
under combat conditions, he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and 
two Bronze Stars. After Vietnam, he was assigned to the Dental Corps at 
Fort Gordon, Georgia, where he served until his discharge in 1969. 
Norwood was awarded the Association of the Army's Cocklin Award in 
1998, and was inducted into the Association's Audie Murphy Society in 
1999. He remained a lifelong member of the American Legion, the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Military Order of the World Wars.
  Charlie's family should be very proud of Charlie Norwood. As Charlie 
Norwood was slowly struggling with the disease that took his life, he 
had to look back on his life and realize that he helped an awful lot of 
people in a very positive way. We will miss him.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Washington (Mr. Hastings).
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, today I mourningly lost not only a colleague but a very 
close friend. We all know that Charlie's unwavering dedication to his 
constituents and to our Nation inspired us who had the privilege of 
serving with him. He was known and was well-documented as a principled 
lawmaker who was absolutely committed to his values and to his work in 
this people's House. He was never afraid to stand up for his 
convictions.
  But, Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak on a personal note, because 
Charlie and I were elected in 1994, and I see several of my colleagues 
here that are going to speak after me. My wife Claire and his wife 
Gloria became friends during the orientation. And while my wife doesn't 
come back here as often as Gloria was here with Charlie, whenever she 
came back we always made it a point as often as we could to get 
together with the Norwoods and have dinner. Charlie loved to try a lot 
of different venues: He was a steak man, and we ate steak. He liked 
Italian food, and we found several Italian places that we ate. He took 
me to a Korean restaurant. He liked Korean food after being in Asia. 
And we had great conversations. We talked about the patients' bill of 
rights; we disagreed. We talked about OSHA; we agreed. And so he and 
Gloria became good friends of Claire and me, and he even hosted my 
brother and I down at the Master's one year. My older brother and 
Charlie shared the same birth date, so they had a bond right off the 
bat.
  If there is one legacy I think that Charlie will leave with all of 
us, it is the bulldoggedness and the determination with which he 
pursued legislation. But if there is one other legacy that will be 
left, it is the way he displayed the courage to fight this disease that 
he had. And I truly think, Mr. Speaker, that any lesser man would not 
have lasted as long as he did with the disease that he had.
  Charlie will be very, very much missed, and our prayers go out to 
Gloria and the family.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time do we 
have left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Frank of Massachusetts). The gentleman 
from Georgia has 12\1/2\ minutes, and the other gentleman from Georgia 
has 8 minutes.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I thank the Speaker. And I would ask the 
gentleman, we have numerous speakers, if there is a possibility of 
yielding time at some point, we would request it.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I would be pleased to do so.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I thank the gentleman.
  At this point I would yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Blunt).
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank all of my colleagues for the comments they have 
made today. The job of the whip in the House is supposed to be the job 
of organizing the Members, and many people think it is the job of 
convincing Members they should do something they don't really want to 
do. I will tell you that the Member that it would have been the most 
impossible to convince to do anything he didn't want to do was Charlie 
Norwood. He was here to do what he thought was the right thing to do. 
It wasn't always what I thought was the right thing, but it was what he 
thought was the right thing and he was

[[Page H1620]]

going to do it. The toughness, the courage, the determination of 
Charlie Norwood was extraordinary among an extraordinary group of 
people. Just this struggle that we have witnessed with Charlie's 
health, a struggle that he faced uncomplainingly as he sat day after 
day over in that corner recovering from massive surgery, but, as 
Chairman Barton showed in the letter he got in recent days, never 
giving up on the job he was doing for the people he served.
  The people that sent him here should be proud, the people who worked 
with him should be proud. The people of the United States would be 
proud if they knew the great and tireless job that Charlie Norwood did 
for them every day. And I am honored to have had a chance to serve with 
him and call him my friend.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, thank you, sir.
  I represent Pinehurst, North Carolina, the golf capital of America. 
And when I would say that, Charlie took great umbrage, he being from 
Augusta.
  On one occasion, Charlie overheard someone ask me to describe my 
district. I replied, ``I represent High Point, the furniture capital of 
the world; I represent one of the finest zoos in the country near 
Asheboro.'' And knowing that Charlie was listening, I said very 
condescendingly, ``And, of course, the golf capital of America in 
Pinehurst.''
  Charlie jumped up from his chair, this is the sanitized version. He 
said, ``Now, you son of a gun,'' he said, ``I will let you have the 
furniture and zoo, but you ain't taking golf.''
  I told that story, Mr. Speaker, to the Southern Pines North Carolina 
Rotary Club, and within one week that story was personally delivered to 
Doc Norwood. And Charlie said to me, ``Howard, don't ever talk about 
anybody. It will come back to bite you.''
  Charlie Norwood, as has been said many times on this floor today, one 
great guy, one great Congressman who will be sorely missed.
  Charlie, I won't even say Pinehurst is the greatest golf capital of 
the world at least for a day or two in remembrance of you.
  And condolences to Gloria and the entire Norwood family.

                              {time}  1730

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honor to know Charlie 
Norwood; I admired and respected him. And shortly after I got here to 
this body I was told by another Member from Georgia, he was sitting by 
Charlie when I was up speaking and he said, Who is that guy? I like 
him. Well, the feeling was more than mutual.
  Charlie Norwood, what was not to like? His dogged determination, some 
would say he was stubborn as a mule. But I think Charlie might more 
elegantly say he was persistent until it almost ceased to be a virtue. 
But with Charlie, it was a virtue.
  Now, some gave him bad press, along with some others of us that 
worked together on the Voting Rights Act. Some falsely claimed that 
Charlie and others of us were trying to restrict the usage of the 
Voting Rights Act when a clear indication, everything Charlie did, 
everything we worked on, everything we talked about behind the scenes 
was, by golly, the Voting Rights Act has done good for the places it 
has been applied. It needs to be applied in every district in America 
until racial disparity has disappeared.
  And although we lost on the floor temporarily, I do believe there is 
Scripture to support people in heaven to know what is going on here on 
Earth. They rejoice over one soul's salvation, they know that it isn't 
over yet. As a matter of equal protection, I think we eventually will 
get it extended to every district where there is racial disparity.
  To Gloria, to the Norwood family, all we can say through the Speaker 
is, thank you for sharing this wonderful gift with us. And to God on 
high, thank you for sharing this gift with this House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the gentlelady from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick).
  Mrs. MYRICK. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as you have heard some of my other colleagues say, there 
were a group of us who came in in 1995 together with Charlie and got to 
know him very well and consider him a dear friend.
  You have heard all the words, ``perseverance'' and ``doggedness'' and 
``determination'' and ``stubborn'' and all those other things that 
describe Charlie, but there are also some other words that describe 
Charlie, and that was ``loyal'' and ``friend,'' because he was a friend 
to all.
  Gloria and Charlie and I became very good friends early on. You could 
always count on him. There was never any question, if you needed 
Charlie, he was there if he believed in what you were doing; if he 
didn't, he would always forthrightly tell you.
  He also displayed that big word ``courage,'' because we saw what he 
went through as he spent his last 3 years here, and he was always doing 
his job for his people. The other thing about Charlie was integrity. I 
think you have to look long and far to find someone who had more 
integrity than Charlie Norwood; if he gave you his word, he gave you 
his word.
  All of our blessings go to Gloria and his family.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg).
  Mr. SHADEGG. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the loss of my friend, Charlie Norwood, 
and to pay tribute to him and his record, and to extend my sympathies 
to his wife and his family.
  Charlie Norwood was an extraordinary human, an extraordinary soldier 
and an extraordinary United States Congressman, and the Nation is 
better for his service.
  You have heard it said here, over and over and over again, that he 
was passionate, that he was a fighter for the cause, whether that was 
in Vietnam, whether that was in his chosen field, dentistry, or whether 
that was here in the United States Congress.
  I worked closely with Charlie on the Patients' Bill of Rights. I 
believed deeply, as Charlie did, that individual human beings, 
patients, were being injured by the practices of managed care companies 
around the country, and that we needed to do something about that. 
Charlie injected himself in that fight with the kind of passion that 
Charlie brought to every fight. And I worked shoulder to shoulder with 
Charlie in that fight, and Dr. Tom Coburn, and learned what a great 
individual and what an inspiring principled human being he was.
  But the best thing about Charlie was the twinkle in his eye. When 
Charlie got into a fight, he would literally light up, and light the 
room with a twinkle of being able to press forward with his fight and 
his belief and his passion.
  We will all miss him. I consider it a privilege to have known him.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).
  Mr. WICKER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, Charlie Norwood and I were elected together in 1994, as 
were the two previous speakers. And we were part of that history-
making, majority-making 73-Member class who came to office in 1995.
  It didn't take us long to realize that Charlie Norwood was one of the 
wisest and steadiest and most dependable Members of that class. He was 
a conservative, and never wavered from that philosophy. He was 
trustworthy, as Mrs. Myrick said.
  He was a competitor. When Charlie Norwood waged battle on this floor 
on your side, you knew you had a capable comrade at arms. And if he was 
on the other side, when it was over, you knew you had been in a fight. 
I remember at the end of the debate on the Patients' Bill of Rights, 
right along the rail back here, Charlie Norwood and Tom Coburn 
embracing after the debate like athletes after a great contest.
  Whatever he did, Charlie Norwood did it cheerfully, and that is one 
of the main things I will remember about Charlie. He was a patriot in 
every sense of the word. He was a credit to

[[Page H1621]]

this House of Representatives. I am proud to have called him my 
colleague and my friend.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time does the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Deal) have?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 30 seconds remaining.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 6 minutes to 
my colleague from Georgia, and I ask unanimous consent to let the 
gentleman from Georgia in turn control that 6 minutes and yield to 
other Members.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) now 
has 6\1/2\ minutes.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for his courtesy.
  I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. 
Whitfield).
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, all of us join in wishing our condolences 
to Charlie's wife Gloria and his entire family.
  Those of us who were elected in 1994 and had the opportunity to know 
Charlie, to work with Charlie, and for me personally I had the 
opportunity to sit next to him on the Energy and Commerce Committee for 
about 8 years, Charlie was many things. He was a soldier in Vietnam, he 
was a businessman, he was a dentist, he was a great United States 
Congressman. He also was a Sunday school teacher at Trinity on the Hill 
Methodist Church in Augusta, Georgia. And I know that that church meant 
a lot to him because he is asking for donations to that church as a 
memorial.
  Recently I attended a church service in a Methodist church in 
Kentucky, and the title of the sermon was ``You Can't Make a Success of 
Life Without Making a Gift of It.'' And when I think of Charlie 
Norwood, that is really what I think about: He made a gift of his life. 
We will miss him. He has made a tremendous impact on all of us. We wish 
his family the very best.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER. I thank you for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about my friend, Charlie Norwood. I have 
prepared remarks, but I would really like to just relate like others 
have.
  The first time I ran into Charlie I was a new freshman in this body. 
He sat behind me. And when you are brand new here, you are listening 
and you are trying to figure out what is going on. And when Charlie 
Norwood opened his mouth, he was saying things sometimes that others 
were not, and stood his ground to those things, even though they might 
be in conflict with both the other side and his party, both. Charlie 
had a way of standing up for his principles.
  I also want to talk about Gloria, because Gloria took my wife under 
her wing and was kind to her. And I can tell you for this last year and 
a half, literally every week that I have served in this Congress, my 
wife has asked about Charlie's health because she fell in love with 
Gloria Norwood.
  Everyone in this House sends out their hearts to Gloria at the loss 
of her beloved husband. We were proud to serve with him. He was a great 
American.
  Today I rise to honor my friend and colleague Mr. Charlie Norwood 
from Northeastern Georgia who passed away yesterday morning. As a man 
of strong character and unwavering convictions, his passing is surely a 
saddening loss to the American people.
  Charlie Norwood served as a brave soldier during Vietnam as part of 
the Army Dental Corps in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He was honored for 
his courageous service with the Combat Medical Badge and two Bronze 
Stars.
  Elected to Congress in 1994, Charlie was the first Republican to 
represent his Northeastern Georgia district since Reconstruction. 
During his time in Congress he was known for his endless fight for the 
patients' bill of rights and his fight for stricter immigration 
policies.
  Charlie bravely battled cancer and lung disease, and in his final 
days he returned to Augusta to be with his family. The Norwood family 
will be in my thoughts and prayers. Please join me, Mr. Speaker, in 
expressing our deep appreciation for the lifetime of service by Charlie 
Norwood and extending our sympathies to his wife, Gloria Wilkinson 
Norwood, and their family.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
one of our colleagues from Iowa (Mr. King).

                              {time}  1740

  Mr. KING of Iowa. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in profound sorrow and gratitude for the 
life of Charlie Norwood. I believe I had known Charlie long before I 
came here to meet him in person. I got to know him through C-SPAN and 
through the media. When I met him personally, he had matched up 
identically with the person that I saw through the television screen. 
Charlie had that light within him, as John Shadegg said.
  I look back at a time when Charlie was not feeling well. He came here 
whenever it was physically possible for him to do that, and I remember 
a day when he looked poor, but when he spoke in that microphone right 
there, that light came back on again and the real Charlie Norwood again 
blessed this Chamber with his presence.
  America will always be grateful. Gloria, Marilyn and I want you to 
know that you and your family are in our prayers. We will always look 
over to this place on this floor where Charlie always sat and recognize 
that as Charlie's seat in the people's Chamber.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express deep sorrow at the passing 
of our friend and colleague, Charlie Norwood. While most of us hope to 
make a difference in this world, Charlie Norwood certainly did that. He 
also made a difference in the lives of those who were fortunate enough 
to have known him.
  Charlie was steadfast and did what he thought was right. He was an 
immovable object in the defense of principle, and when met with 
irresistible force, it wasn't likely that Charlie was the one who was 
moved.
  During the development of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, I 
worked closely with Charlie and several of my colleagues to see if 
there was an alternative plan and how we were going to work this out. 
Charlie's contributions were insightful, they were valuable, and added 
considerably to the worth of our final product. During that process, he 
was constantly mindful of two things, and that was the need to help 
seniors who had no drug coverage and the need to be wise stewards for 
taxpayers.
  Coming to Congress with a medical background, Charlie provided a 
point of view that enhanced any debate he entered. While witnesses 
before him, at the Health Subcommittee may have cringed at times under 
his questioning, the responses that were drawn out always added an 
important dimension to our debates.
  Charlie will be sorely missed: in Congress, in the Health 
Subcommittee, but more importantly in all our lives. I give my deepest 
sympathies to his wife, Gloria, his sons Charles and Carlton, and his 
constituents.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to 
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham).
  Mr. LATHAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the 
Speaker for this chance to say just a few words about my dear friend 
and classmate, Charlie Norwood.
  To Gloria, to the family, we extend our most sincere, deepest 
condolences. Kathy and I will keep you in our prayers.
  I just want to tell one short story about Charlie. When we came into 
Congress together back in 1994 and we had the Contract With America, 
the first 100 days, one of the very first votes that we had was H.R. 1. 
That was an amendment to the Constitution to balance the budget. I was 
standing right back here at the voting machine beside Charlie Norwood. 
I voted ``yes.'' Charlie put his card in, he voted ``yes,'' and he 
turned to me and says, You know what. That's what I ran on. I can go 
home now. I've done my job. I've kept my promise.
  That's what Charlie Norwood was all about. I just want to say, 
Charlie, you're home now, the Augusta, the Georgia that you love, and 
our thoughts and prayers will always be with you and the great honor 
that you have given all of us here to serve with you in this great 
body.

[[Page H1622]]

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. I would say to my colleague, Mr. Lewis, I am 
prepared to close if you would like to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, Charlie Norwood, the man from 
Georgia, not just a citizen of Georgia, not just a citizen of the 
American South, but a citizen of the world, a man who fought the good 
fight, who kept the faith. He was a good and decent man, and we will 
never ever forget his lasting contribution.
  We pray for his family, for the people of his congressional district, 
and we pray for his soul.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank my 
colleague, Mr. Lewis, for his graciousness, for his assistance in 
bringing this resolution to the floor, and to express my appreciation 
to all of our colleagues who have spoken here today. Their eloquence, I 
hope, conveys to Gloria and to the family the esteem with which we held 
Charlie Norwood. Truly the gentleman from Georgia and the blue 
searsucker suit is going to really be missed here, but his legacy will 
live on.
  It is the responsibility of each of us to make sure that we have the 
same degree of commitment and passion as Charlie Norwood did. He set a 
great example we will all endeavor to follow.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in sadness to 
note the recent passing of a dear friend and colleague, Charlie 
Norwood. I want to extend to his wife Gloria and her sons, and their 
family, my deepest sympathy for their loss.
  I know how much Charlie loved his wife Gloria and his family.?
  I join my colleagues today on the floor of the House to honor his 
service in the House of Representatives, and to honor his memory.
  Charlie and I came to Washington with the class of 1994. We were 
elected to Congress in the same year and we came with the class that 
was going to change the way Washington operates.
  In the seven terms that I have served with Charlie, I gained a 
lasting friendship and respect for Charlie.
  Charlie certainly made an impact on the House of Representatives. He 
always fought for the causes for which he believed, and many times we 
were on the same side.
  In the last year of his service, as he was battling illness, he 
always had a smile for me when I would speak to him. And I know that he 
had a smile for anyone that came to say hello.
  As a man of faith, I know that Charlie is in heaven. But for those of 
us who had the privilege to know him, we will miss him until we meet 
again.
  He was an outstanding Congressman, and he will be missed.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, it is with sorrow, yet fondness, that I 
speak on the passing of our colleague and friend, Charlie Norwood. 
While in Congress, his dedication to Georgians, to patient advocacy, to 
business ownership and property rights, and to veterans are legendary.
  Prior to his service in the House of Representatives, Charlie served 
his country as a Captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps in Vietnam, and 
he contributed to his community as a dentist, business owner, and 
active worshipper in his Methodist Church.
  I first learned about Charlie in 1994 when he was running for his 
Georgia district. Struck by his pluckiness and quiet steadfast 
determination even then, I decided to campaign for him in his district-
to-be, and met his wife Gloria. And when he was elected, he immediately 
became a player in health care legislation, not waiting for reaching 
the echelons of seniority to make real contributions.
  Through all his trials, Charlie Norwood had a sparkle, an ingenuity 
how to get things accomplished. His passion would at times translate 
into defiance at another Member. In particular, I recall such a moment 
at the Energy & Commerce markup on July 27, 2006 of H.R. 4157, the 
Better Health Information System Act of 2006, or ``Health IT'' bill. 
Another Member, Representative Markey, was offering some language that 
would have the effect of governing relations between health care 
providers and their patients. Well, Charlie took great exception to 
this, and rather angrily erupted to Representative Markey that his 
profession has engaged in the highest ethical standards of patient 
privacy since the inception of dentistry, and therefore ``I don't need 
you to legislate my professional ethics.''
  In the past couple of years, Charlie would ride in his scooter to the 
Energy & Commerce Committee on which we served together, and to the 
Floor, for debate and hearings and votes. And notwithstanding his 
ailing health, I was always touched by his continued friendly, high 
spirits. Charlie, I am honored to have known you. Rest in peace.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution 
honoring the life of our friend and a great member of this body, 
Charlie Norwood, who passed away after an 8-year battle with a chronic 
lung disease, and then lung cancer.
  Elected in 1994, Charlie was a passionate public servant who will be 
remembered for his dedication to health care issues and his commitment 
to patients' rights. A dentist by training, he had the unique 
perspective of understanding how health policy impacted him as a 
practitioner as well as his patients. His experiences were a driving 
force in his passionate advocacy for a patients' bill of rights, and he 
helped lead the effort to pass that legislation.
  Charlie also served his country in the Army for 3 years, and was a 
veteran of the Vietnam war. I had the privilege of getting to know 
Charlie when our offices were next door to each other in the Rayburn 
building and enjoyed our friendly visits and candid conversations. He 
instantly gained my respect as a hard-working and eager gentleman 
willing to work across party lines in search of compromIse.
  Mr. Speaker, while Charlie's presence will be missed, his valiant 
spirit will live on and I am grateful for the opportunity to have 
served with him in this Chamber. I send my condolences and best wishes 
to his family, and join my colleagues in supporting this resolution.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened at the loss of a great 
American. Charlie Norwood was an honored member of this House of 
Representatives and will be deeply missed. His work for patient and 
individual rights showed his intense compassion for the American 
people.
  Congressman Norwood was someone who lived the American dream. He went 
to college, became a dentist, fought for his country in Vietnam, and 
was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He served his district, 
state and country with distinction in the United States Congress.
  Charlie worked to leave the world a better place than it was given to 
him, and I can say that, because of his service to our country and work 
for health care issues, he did just that.
  Congressman Charlie Norwood was taken from this earth too soon. My 
wife Diana and I extend our deepest sympathy to Gloria and the entire 
Norwood family in this difficult time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart today to 
remember a friend, and colleague--Representative Charlie Norwood of 
Georgia, who passed away yesterday, at his home in Augusta, Georgia.
  Charlie and I came into Congress as part of the ``Republican 
Revolution'' in 1994. We shared a common vision with the rest of our 
classmates of what the Federal Government should be and how it should 
act. Charlie worked diligently to attain this vision while serving his 
constituents.
  During this sorrowful time my thoughts and prayers go out to his 
family, friends, staff and loved ones. It was an honor serving with 
Charlie, and he will be sorely missed.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a 
great American and a member of this House. Charles Norwood was a 
veteran, dentist, small business owner, and Member of Congress from 
Georgia.
  Congressman Norwood, who died on Wednesday, February 14, 2007, was a 
respected member of this body and respected by all who knew him. His 
presence will be greatly missed and we all mourn his loss and extend 
our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
  Charles Norwood was born July 27, 1941 in Valdosta, Georgia. 
``Charlie'' as he was known, attended school in Valdosta throughout his 
first year of high school when his family moved to Tennessee, where he 
graduated in 1959 from Baylor Military High School in Chattanooga. He 
received his B.A. from Georgia Southern University in 1964 and a 
Doctorate in Dental Surgery from Georgetown University Dental School in 
1967 where he was elected President of the Dental School Student Body 
during his senior year.
  After completing dental school, Charlie Norwood enlisted in the 
United States Army, and was commissioned a Captain in the U.S. Army 
Dental Corps from 1967 to 1969. He was first assigned to the Army 
Dental Corps at Sandia Army Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1968, 
he was transferred to the Medical Battalion of the 173rd Airborne 
Brigade in Vietnam.
  While in the Dental Corps, Charlie pioneered dental practices that 
became standard procedure after the Vietnam War. In addition to 
assisting the soldiers, he also provided some of the first field-based 
dental treatment of military guard dogs. For his distinguished service 
to our Nation, Charlie received the Combat Medical Badge and two Bronze 
Stars. He was discharged in 1969 after which, he entered the private 
practice of dentistry in Augusta, Georgia. For many years, ``Doc 
Norwood'' provided great service to all his patients.

[[Page H1623]]

  In 1994, Charlie Norwood was elected to represent the Tenth 
Congressional District of Georgia in the historic 104th Congress. We 
were classmates because that same year I was elected to represent the 
citizens of the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas. Charlie 
represented his district so well that he was reelected by his 
constituents six times and always by substantial margins.
  In Congress, Charlie Norwood was a strong proponent for health care 
reform. He introduced legislation calling for a Patient's Bill of 
Rights. He also championed more and better health care for veterans. In 
addition to his work in health care reform, Norwood introduced 
legislation and worked on various other public-policy issues.
  Throughout his congressional career, Charlie Norwood served on the 
Energy and Commerce Committee and the Education and Workforce 
Committee. He was Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health from 2001 
to 2004 and a member of the Energy and Power Subcommittee from 1997 to 
2000.
  Mr. Speaker, a dear colleague has fallen but he will not be 
forgotten. We are all saddened by our loss but we are happy to have 
served with him. Our prayers and condolences are with his family and 
loved ones. Charlie Norwood--Vietnam Veteran, dentist, small business 
owner, and Member of Congress--was a good representative, a good 
legislator, and a good man. He will be missed.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time has expired.
  Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the 
resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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