[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               REMEMBERING REPRESENTATIVE CHARLIE WILSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I did not know Charlie Wilson, 
but I know friends of Charlie Wilson, and based upon what his friends 
say, he was truly a remarkable person. I admire people who march to the 
beat of a different drummer. I admire people who are original, who do 
things in a very good way, but they do the things that they do in their 
very own way.
  It appears that Charlie Wilson was such a person. While he could 
easily have been a great Congressperson representing the people of his 
district and not traveling abroad, he took it upon himself to not only 
help the people of Afghanistan but to go there and be a part of it and 
to actually take others into Afghanistan as well to help people with a 
resistance movement. He marched to the beat of a different drummer. He 
did not allow the circumstances of what we call ``the norm'' to prevent 
him from doing unusual things in a most significant way.
  I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet him, because I 
believe that such a person has a positive impact on the lives around 
him; and as I listen to his friends speak so highly of what he was able 
to do here in the Congress of the United States of America, I only can 
say, Charlie, I didn't have an opportunity to meet you on this side, 
but I know that at some point, I'll have an opportunity to meet you, 
and I want you to share some of those many stories with me.
  You have been a friend of this country, and this country loves you. 
God bless you, Charlie. I know that wherever you are, there's a good 
time being had.

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