Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2007 > February > 12 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPerhaps a last request: In the end, Charlie Norwood goes back to the beginning
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This has the look of a last will and testament.
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood’s office announced that the congressman had reintroduced the original, bipartisan Patient’s Bill of Rights that he’d fought so hard for in the 1990s.
Norwood, currently undergoing hospice treatment in Augusta, ordered the 1999 legislation reintroduced without change, as it was approved by the House that year, “knowing his original co-author, U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) is now House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, and can be relied on to safely update the bill as necessary without sacrificing patient protections,” according to the press release.
The Augusta congressman “acknowledged he will not be able to further impact debate on the legislation,” the release said.
Norwood made his mark in Congress shortly after he came in 1994, when he broke ranks with fellow Republicans and launched a decade-long fight to protect patients from health insurance providers.
Having dealt with insurance companies for years as a dentist, he’d concluded their interests and patients’ interests weren’t always the same.
Norwood pestered Speaker Gingrich on flights to and from Atlanta to take up the issue, and in Washington, he built a coalition of 230 Democrats and Republicans to eventually force Gingrich to bring the bill to a vote.
Among other things, the bill would have allowed patients to sue HMOs that overruled doctors and refused to pay for recommended treatments.
The House approved it twice, and President Bill Clinton once took up the cause.
Norwood’s fellow conservatives and President Bush objected to key provisions, and in 2001 Norwood cut a last-minute deal with Bush - eliminating the right for patients to sue for malpractice - to avoid a presidential veto.
Giving in to Bush cost Norwood all of his Democratic support and his fight never again regain its prominence on Congress’ agenda.
In December, Norwood wrote that his bill might be something for Democrats, soon to be in control of Congress, to consider. “If the Democrats can use their new majority to pull that off, they will and should score big with the public,” he wrote.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By John Stone
February 12, 2007 5:50 PM | Link to this
Norwood didn’t agree to eliminate right to sue. He agreed to try to sell Dingell, McCain, etc. on capping punitive and non-economic damages at $1.5 each for a total of $3 mil, and to allow unlimited compensatory damages. Bush had been stuck on $500K total for both; Dems were stuck on $5mil for each if external review was used, unlmited if not. It was a deal gone bad under any circumstances, but the facts are quite different than “eliminate”. js
By Elbert GOP
February 12, 2007 8:59 PM | Link to this
Hudgens is still a jerk and opportunist. Don’t let him take Charlie’s seat. Our district can do much better than Ralph Hudgens.
By Tom
February 13, 2007 1:47 PM | Link to this
God Bless Charlie and his family…
NEWS RELEASE
U.S. Representative Charlie Norwood, Tenth District, Georgia
For immediate release: February 13, 2007
U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood Succumbs to Cancer
(Augusta, Georgia) - U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA10), 65, passed away this morning at his Augusta home following an extensive battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and non-small cell lung cancer. Norwood received a single lung transplant in 2004 as treatment for IPF, and developed non-small cell lung cancer in 2005.
Norwood represented the Augusta-to-Athens 10th congressional district since 1995, and was re-elected in November 2006 by a landslide margin.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Thomas Poteet and Son Funeral Directors in Martinez. A schedule of public services will be announced by the 10th Congressional District office as soon as details are finalized.
-end-
By George Chell
February 13, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this
Rep Norwood had a lot of blemishes including opposition to the Voting Rights Act. However, he did redeem himself to a large extent by being the author of the Patients Bill of Rights which none of the racist GOP congressmen from Georgia such as Nathan Deal and Lynn Westmoreland opposed.
By Give Racism a Rest
February 13, 2007 6:42 PM | Link to this
Charges of “racism” has become tired, trite, and over-worn. All it takes to be a racist is to disagree with you politcally or on a matter of religion.
I am NOT against the VRA, only that it discriminates against the south because it doesn’t apply the same rules to those who live in other areas of the country.
I am NOT a racist, either…but, you would say that I am because I do not agree with your LIBERAL agenda.
By Tired of Trash Talk
February 13, 2007 6:55 PM | Link to this
Give it a rest. Yeah, he probably had “blemishes” but you are NOT QUALIFIED to judge. When you trash other Republican Representatives just be cause you have a “chip on your shoulder,” you are showing your true intentions. DEMS always trash gentler, kinder, wiser political leaders.
By "Jerk-ed or Set-Up"
February 13, 2007 7:31 PM | Link to this
It is SO EASY to castigate someone as a “jerk.” If a reporter asks an untoward question and it is answered, even evasively…then the reporter can criticize that person because he commented on something that should probably not have been discussed in the first place. This is a common “set-up” by the media. Just my take on why a fine person like Ralph Hudgins finds himself in this position.