I met a lot of famous people when I worked at the U.S. Capitol—particularly when I worked for Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) when he was U.S. Senate Majority Leader.
Some celebrities were quick drive-bys. I once saw Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward sign in and walk right back out. I ran after them through the staff door and yelled—“Mr. Newman?!” He slid his sunglasses down just enough to show those dreamy baby blue eyes. I nearly fainted right there in the hallway.
But meeting Chuck Norris was different.
I even had the chance to work with him on a movie screening.
I’ll never forget that day.
U.S. Senator Pete Wilson (R-CA) brought Chuck Norris to meet Senator Dole.
It was in 1990 and Norris was pitching his new film—”Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection.”
It wasn’t a chance meeting. It was an intentional conversation about screening the movie for U.S. Senators.
Norris played his usual role as the protagonist and an immensely talented actor named Billy Drago played the antagonist, a Columbian drug lord. (You’ll remember Drago from his role as Frank Nitti in The Untouchables).
Since Norris was from California and Dole was from Kansas, it made perfect sense for the two U.S. Senators to co-host the movie screening. Senator Dole loved the idea.
As luck would have it, Senator Dole needed a staff member to organize the screening. I drew the lucky straw that day because Senator Dole picked me.
We scheduled the screening when the Senate was in session so Senators could attend with their spouses. We needed a location close enough that they could duck out to vote if they had to. Capitol Police helped us pick Union Station, which was nearby and able to be secured.
I’ll never forget meeting Chuck Norris. He was kind, funny, and incredibly authentic. There was no “movie star performance—just a man who looked you in the eye, was grateful, and made you feel like you mattered.
Somewhere in my life, there’s a photo of Norris hugging me—one of those snapshots that’s adorable and real. I looked for it before writing this, but it’s hidden somewhere in my garage.
As the story goes—Wilson and Dole would introduce Norris and Drago, respectively. Norris was on site with us. Cheers erupted when he took the microphone.
Dole’s introduction of Drago was his usual self—quipping that Drago was the “bad guy” and that sometimes Dole gets portrayed that way too.
Those of us who knew Dole knew the truth. He could be tough and strict, yes—especially about passing good public policy—but he was also kind, giving, and deeply grounded, coming from humble beginnings.
Back to our story. The movie was the usual action-packed drama with Chuck Norris exhibiting his signature martial arts moves. There was tension and then relief, with Chuck Norris doing what he did best—making the hero look fearless.
And then—about seven minutes before the end—every Senator’s pager went off.
You could feel it ripple through the theater—the collective sigh, the muted chorus of “not now.” It was time for a vote.
I distinctly remember one Democrat Senator from Arizona (who I won’t name here) leaving his seat to ask Senator Dole if the vote could be held open a little longer so everyone could see the end of the movie.
This wasn’t a breach of protocol—U.S. Senate votes are typically held open beyond their scheduled time (often 15 minutes) to allow Senators to reach the floor. There are some cases where this could last hours to secure attendance or accommodate schedules. One famous budget vote even involved U.S. Senator Pete Wilson.
On March 19, 2025, Chuck Norris passed away at age 86. He spent his life advocating strength, faith, and inner resolve—and he even wrote about the kind of hero people long to believe in—a steady hand, self-reliant, determined, and unafraid.
“Many people want and need someone to identify with, a man who is self-reliant, stands on his own two feet, and is not afraid to face adversity,” Mr. Norris wrote in “The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story” (1988).Credit…Little Brown, NY Times.
That was Chuck Norris and a day in my life I’ll never forget.
Judy Lloyd is the host of the Purple Inspiration Podcast. She was appointed by the President at age 25 to a role in congressional affairs at the USDA, and worked for many years for U.S. Senator Bob Dole, who was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in 1996. A proponent of business and women, Lloyd currently lives in California, and owns Altamont Communications Strategies.