Steve Buyer: “I rise to express deep sorrow at the passing of our friend and colleague, Charlie Norwood. While most of us hope to make…”

“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.”