[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2002-S2003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE NORWOOD

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I want to speak briefly on one other 
issue aside from the war effort, as that is the one that really needs 
to, and does, occupy our time. But a good friend of mine has just 
recently passed away, Congressman Charlie Norwood. Charlie and I came 
in together in the House of Representatives in the 1994 election cycle. 
He recently passed away due to complications in his liver from a long 
battle that he had with pulmonary fibrosis and the difficulties that he 
had.
  His legislative accomplishments are significant, and those are in the 
Record and well known. What I want to talk about is the person because 
he was a beautiful man. He served in Vietnam as a dentist. He had this 
beautiful, folksy way of presenting a tough topic. He would boil down 
the essence of a difficult topic in a folksy sentence or two, and you 
would listen to it and you would say: You know, I think that is about 
accurate.
  He could take difficult things and boil them down. He cared a lot 
about health care issues, and he worked a lot

[[Page S2003]]

on health care issues. What I remember is a kindly gentleman who was 
very active and involved in the issues of the day and who cared about 
other people. He taught adult Sunday school classes. He worked as a 
small businessman. He was a dedicated public servant, even as he felt 
that the Government had grown too big and was taking over too much 
authority.
  It reminds me that, as we leave these places--and we all will--when 
you look back on it, there is a legislative career, and there are a 
number of legislative items that each of us are associated with, and 
the cares and concerns and the passions that we have of the day, but 
there is also a person who is there, and the soul and the character of 
that individual. In this case, Dr. Charlie Norwood had a beautiful 
soul. He was someone who touched people in a positive way. I am not 
sure you can say a lot more at the end of our days than that.
  Congressman Norwood is survived by his wife Gloria, sons Charles and 
Carlton Norwood, and grandchildren, all of Augusta.
  During his life, Norwood has served as a Member of Congress, longtime 
patients' and individual rights champion, dentist, Vietnam veteran, and 
small businessman.
  Norwood, a seven-term Member of the U.S. House of Representatives 
from 1995 to 2007, served most of east Georgia at some point during his 
congressional career due to redistricting in 1996, 2002, and 2006. He 
won re-election every year since 1998 by landslide margins, and was 
elected to the 110th Congress in November by a 68 percent margin. His 
10th District seat will be filled in a special election to be scheduled 
by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.
  Norwood achieved national recognition after introducing the first 
comprehensive managed health care reform legislation to Congress in 
1995, which subsequently passed the House of Representatives in both 
1999 and 2001. Norwood's Patient's Bill of Rights legislation became a 
key issue in the 2000 presidential election, and will likely be revived 
in the 110th Congress.
  Norwood was instrumental in health care reform for military retirees 
and veterans as well as patients-at-large. The former Army dentist was 
co-author of the Keep Our Promises to Military Retirees Act in 1999, 
which provided fully funded health care for life for the Nation's 
military retirees. The majority of the bill was enacted as part of the 
Defense Authorization Act of 2000.
  In addition to his longtime national advocacy for patients, Norwood 
succeeded in passing reforms across a broad range of public policy 
areas, spanning education, private property rights, telecommunications, 
and environmental regulations.
  Norwood is further recognized as the father of the Nation's current 
Class A broadcast television service, by authoring and passing into law 
the Community Broadcasting Protection Act in 1998.
  In congressional oversight action, Norwood played a key role in the 
1996-1998 Teamster's investigation, the 1998-2002 investigations of 
theft and fraud at the U.S. Department of Education, and the 
impeachment of former President Bill Clinton in 1998.
  Norwood received a bachelor's degree from Georgia Southern University 
in Statesboro in 1964, and a doctorate in dental surgery from 
Georgetown University Dental School in Washington, DC, in 1967, where 
he was elected president of the Dental School Student Body in his 
senior year. He married the former Gloria Wilkinson of Valdosta in 1962 
while attending Georgia Southern.
  After dental school, he volunteered for the U. S. Army and served as 
a captain in the Dental Corps from 1967 to 1969, beginning with an 
assignment to the U.S. Army Dental Corps at Sandia Army Base in 
Albuquerque, NM. In 1968 he was transferred to the Medical Battalion of 
the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, and served a combat tour at Quin 
Yon, An Khe, and LZ English at Bon Son. 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, 
GA, where he served until his discharge in 1969. Norwood was awarded 
the Association of the United States Army 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 the Military Order of the World Wars.
  Dr. Norwood began private practice dentistry in Augusta immediately 
after his discharge. During his dental career, he served as president 
of the Georgia Dental Association and was a delegate to the American 
Dental Association.
  In addition to his dental practice, Norwood also founded Northwoods 
Nursery in Evans, providing trees and shrubs to wholesale outlets 
throughout the Central Savannah River Area, and Augusta Dental 
Laboratory, which manufactured dental devices for patients.
  He became a stalwart supporter of small business and property rights 
interests in Congress, receiving the 1995 Fighting Frosh award of the 
United States Business and Industrial Council, the Guardian of Senior's 
Rights Award of the 60 Plus Association, the Friend of the Family Award 
of the Christian Coalition, the Friend of the Taxpayer Award of 
Americans for Tax Reform, the Guardian of Small Business Award of the 
National Federation of Independent Business, the Spirit of Enterprise 
Award of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Thomas Jefferson Award of 
the U.S. Food Service Council, the Champion of Property Rights Award of 
the League of Private Property Owners, the Taxpayer's Hero Award of the 
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, and the Taxpayer's 
Friend Award of National Taxpayers Union.
  Dr. Norwood and his wife Gloria were longtime members of and taught 
adult Sunday school at Trinity-on-the-Hill United Methodist Church in 
Augusta. He was also a past board member of the Augusta Opera Society 
and a member of the Augusta Symphony Guild.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Tennessee is recognized.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, are we now in morning business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 15 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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