Charlie Norwood Quotes

We are all representatives of the American people. We all do town hall meetings. We all talk to our constituents. And I've got to tell you, the American people are engaged. And if you think they want a government takeover of health care, I would respectfully submit you're not listening to them.

I love being a part of something that is grassroots, and you can see the actual changes, the effect of what people do.

Being politically active is "more about doing things, not just standing for some platform or being involved in some political party."

And that means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.

I know that government doesn't have the all solutions that real solutions do not come from the top down. Instead, the ways to end poverty come from all of us. We are part of the solution.

We need to work to repeal Obamacare and replace it with the kind of health care choices that the American people want. That doesn't include government-run health care.

We've had Town Hall meetings, we've witnessed election after election, in which the American people have taken a position on the President's health care bill. And the bottom line is the people don't like this bill. They don't want it.

We think that when the American people make a decision together that they want something, politicians have to listen to them, and that's the process we believe in.

The people who care the most about the folks in your community are living in the community. They don't live in Washington, D.C.

There are enough people who are starting to be actively involved that we can turn things around. And we need to encourage others to become involved.

No matter what the issues are, it has to be handled at the grassroots. When you take part in something, even though that movement may lose, the juices start flowing and you feel you count. You count. Well, that's pretty important.

It was you readers who really came through, proving once again that when the American people decide to "get involved" in a problem, it is best not to let them have any sharp implements.

Where progress has been made, wherever any kind of injustice has been overturned, it’s been because people acted as citizens, and not as politicians. They didn’t just moan. They worked, they acted, they organized, they rioted if necessary to bring their situation to the attention of people in power. And that’s what we have to do today.

There's a reason people pause their lives to engage in political activism and pressure their local political leaders. Because as a whole, even if you can't identify any one instance, as a whole pressure works and sometimes it starts with something as simple as pushing the button on the intercom.

In the days ahead, I will propose more ways for more Americans to get involved in national service and give back to our communities, because every one of us has a role to play in building the future we want.

The people are learning that you cannot leave decisions only to leaders. Local groups have to create the political will for change, rather than waiting for others to do things for them. That is where positive, and sustainable, change begins.

The reason that I started the Black Futures Lab is because I have some clarity about what I think needs to happen in relationship to electoral organizing. It's not a destination. It is a set of tools that we use to engage people that we care about, en masse, around issues that are important to us.

If you look at the Affordable Care Act, ultimately that was saved not solely by lawmakers but because of the courage of individuals and families who went to Washington, who organized, who mobilized and said 'We're not turning around.'

Dealing with politicians, that's a little different. But government doesn't change until people demand it.

Our future is in our hands and we must stop looking to politicians to fix matters - they can't.

I think it's possible for Tennessee to be flipped to a Democratic majority, which would be beneficial to enacting policies that I would like to see, but beyond party allegiance, we have an opportunity to involve ourselves in change that will empower us not just now but in the future.

We have always a roll to play in any community, and we have to do it - it's being part of a society.

The People's Party, I am working for the people and we want to put the power back in people.

It's very hard to complain about society if you don't get involved.

I truly enjoy hearing from our community about the issues that matter most. It's conversations like these that shape our community and drive my work to pursue common-sense solutions that protect our families, lower health care costs, uplift our veterans, and support our local businesses.