[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 184 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H14145-H14151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE LATE CONGRESSMAN HENRY HYDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, the subject of our Special Order this 
evening is our dear friend, Henry Hyde.
  Mr. Speaker, I would yield to Congressman Rohrabacher from 
California.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, today we remember the life of Henry 
Hyde. Henry Hyde was no doubt one of the greatest Members ever to serve 
in this Chamber. He was certainly one of the most articulate.
  Let me note right off the beginning, Henry Hyde was a personal hero 
of mine long before I arrived here in this body in 1989. And unlike 
heroes who I have met over my lifetime, quite often I have been 
disappointed in the heroes that I have met, Henry Hyde remained a 
person I admired, a hero that I admired, even after I got to work with 
him and got to know him personally.
  Henry Hyde was, yes, a great orator, and he had a personal presence. 
Anyone who has ever worked or been around Henry Hyde could tell you 
that. Yet, these were not the qualities that made his greatness. Henry 
used his talents and his influence to further fundamental principles 
and values that reflected Henry's character and his commitment to 
higher ideals. He rose above politics.
  What is it that Henry believed in? What were these higher ideals? 
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
  Life. Yes, that is the first, that is the first of Henry's values. 
Yes, Henry was one of the greatest voices in the defense of the unborn 
on this planet. It was not the popular stand to take, and it still is 
not necessarily the popular stand to take. It was a moral imperative, 
however, a moral imperative that Henry felt very deeply about.
  When someone believes that the issue of abortion is not an issue that 
concerns tissue being extracted from a woman's body, but is instead an 
issue that deals with the ending of a human life, the principle is 
clear. But the courage to advocate such a moral and principled position 
may not match the importance of the issue itself.
  Henry spoke with such eloquence on so many issues, but on this issue, 
one could not help but admire him and know that it was something that 
was coming from his heart, and a heart that was filled with love. He 
was a national force in the battle to protect the unborn. This is part 
of his legacy and something we should not forget and we should always 
remember him for, because it took courage for him to lead this battle.
  Henry made this issue a crusade, and he did much himself to create 
the movement that now I think has brought public opinion and at least 
the public consciousness more to what the issue is on this issue of 
abortion. Yes, life was Henry's number one priority.
  Liberty. Henry fought for liberty as a young naval officer in the 
Philippines during the Second World War. I was very honored to have 
gone with Henry to the Philippines where he was issued a medal for his 
service as a young man in the Second World War. He then after the war 
returned home and fought the battle for liberty in both the State 
legislature in Illinois, and, yes, here in the halls of Congress.
  Henry's war was a war for liberty and justice for all. Henry was 
chairman of the Judiciary Committee. And, yes, we should not forget 
another controversial thing about Henry. He led that Judiciary 
Committee at a time of an impeachment procedure against President Bill 
Clinton. With the sexual implications of the charges against the former 
President, that endeavor could have turned into a lurid political 
circus. Instead, Henry Hyde insisted on maintaining standards and 
maintaining that the issue was perjury, and that was the only issue to 
be approached and discussed, and he insisted on maintaining the decorum 
of this House under these most trying of circumstances.
  After serving as chairman the Judiciary Committee, he moved on to 
serve as chairman of the International Relations Committee. I was 
honored to serve with him on that august committee, and I watched 
firsthand as he stepped up and he maintained his commitment not only to 
American security, but to human liberty. These were the paramount 
issues for Henry Hyde, whether our country was safe and whether human 
liberty was being furthered.
  Yes, Henry Hyde was the chairman of the International Relations 
Committee and led us after 9/11, led us at a time when we went into war 
with radical Islam, a war in which we are currently engaged. And Henry, 
his courage, his strength, his character, did very much to ensure the 
American people that, yes, we will prevail over this monstrous evil 
enemy that we face.
  Well, finally let me note the pursuit of happiness. All of us who 
knew Henry know that he was a man who enjoyed

[[Page H14146]]

his life. He exemplified that happiness comes from more than just 
acquiring material wealth. Henry was a happy man because he was doing 
what he thought was right and was making a difference.
  When he left us last year, he had dedicated his whole life to the 
service of our country and to those higher ideals I have just 
mentioned. He had every reason to be proud of the wonderful and 
exemplary life that he had lived.
  So, tonight we remember Henry. He will be buried later on this week, 
but he will remain a force in this body and will remain a force in 
American politics for years to come, along with the Henry Clays and the 
Daniel Websters and the other great orators and great men of principle 
who have served here in Washington in the People's House and in this 
great Congress.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois, Congressman Ray LaHood.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute to one of the 
finest public servants that I have ever known, Congressman Henry Hyde. 
Henry passed away last week.
  Before I begin my own remarks, I want to offer a couple of comments 
on behalf of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., who for family reasons is 
not able to be here, but asked me to offer these remarks on his behalf.
  He was a good friend of Congressman Hyde, someone from the other side 
of the aisle, but someone from our Illinois delegation. He wanted me to 
express his feelings that Henry was not only a good friend to him, but 
he was a great American; someone who loved America and someone who 
really made the world a better place; someone who Congressman Jesse 
Jackson, Jr., called a friend.
  I offer those remarks on behalf of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
  Henry made a difference. When I was asked by a reporter recently what 
I will remember about him, what I said was that many of us come to this 
place with the idea that we can make a difference. Henry Hyde made a 
difference. He made a difference in the lives of the people that he 
represented, not just in his congressional district and not just in 
Illinois, but in the country and in the world.
  He distinguished himself by serving as Chair of two committees, the 
Judiciary Committee and the International Relations Committee, during 
deliberations of some very, very serious legislation.
  Henry Hyde had the ability to change people's minds. That is almost 
unheard of around here. People come to the well of the House almost 
always knowing how they are going to vote on a particular bill. But 
whether it was the flag amendment, whether it was term limits, which 
was a part of the Contract with America in 1995, whether it was the 
Hyde amendment, which protected so many lives for so many unborn, 
whether it was impeachment or whether it was expansion of O'Hare 
Airport, Henry Hyde had the ability to come to this floor and persuade 
his colleagues of his point of view. He had a very, very uncanny 
ability to do that, because of his intelligence, because of the way 
that he presented himself, and because of the respect that the Members 
of this body had for this great man.
  He did make a difference, and he did it with the highest level of 
civility and dignity. He brought great honor, great dignity to this 
institution, by his presence, the way he conducted his arguments on the 
great debates of the day, and I have no doubt that people did change 
their votes and change their minds. Particularly on term limits he made 
some very compelling arguments, and particularly on the flag amendment 
he made some very compelling arguments, and over a long period of 30 
years, three decades, on the Hyde amendment.

                              {time}  2130

  And even though the impeachment proceedings were very controversial, 
people respected the way Henry Hyde conducted those proceedings as 
chairman of the Judiciary Committee, in a very honorable way and a very 
civil way. And even those on the other side who did not agree with the 
impeachment proceedings, they agreed that Henry Hyde conducted it with 
the highest level of honesty, integrity and civility that you can bring 
to this Chamber.
  Every third Thursday of each month that we are in session, our 
delegation which now numbers 21, counting our two U.S. Senators, 19 
Members and 2 U.S. Senators, have lunch together. We used to gather in 
Speaker Hastert's office, and now we gather in Senator Durbin's office. 
And before every delegation lunch, we could always count on Henry Hyde 
to tell at least one or two very, very funny stories. He was a great 
storyteller and he loved to tell stories.
  I will never forget almost a year ago when Henry would come in the 
Chamber as we were departing for the final votes, and he was in a 
wheelchair because of his back problems, and announced to all of us 
over in that part of the Chamber that just a few weeks before that, 
about a year ago, he wed his chief of staff of 35 years and he was 
very, very happy. They were going to move back to Geneva, Illinois, 
which is a suburban part of Chicago, west of Chicago, and they were 
going to live happily ever after in Geneva, Illinois, which is a 
beautiful part of the world on the Fox River.
  When President Bush announced that he was going to give Henry Hyde 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, I tried to call Henry and was not 
able to reach him. I did send him a note. I know how proud he was. Of 
all of the awards and accolades that he received, I know he was 
proudest of his Presidential Medal of Freedom because it is the highest 
civilian award that the President of the United States can give to any 
person, and I know how proud Henry was of that.
  So as a Member from Illinois who has served with Henry now during my 
13 years and as former chief of staff to Bob Michel, it is difficult to 
think that Henry Hyde is gone. But he will be long remembered for his 
civility, the dignity, the high honor that he brought to the job and to 
the debates of very controversial issues, and was still able to 
maintain the collegiality of every Member of this body, both Democrats 
and Republicans, a great lesson for all of us and a great example for 
all of us of how we should treat one another and how we should conduct 
the debates, even when there are great differences and great 
opportunities for divide on these issues.
  Henry stands as a lasting example. He will be remembered that you can 
make a difference on important issues and during debate. We honor his 
memory tonight which will be long remembered throughout the history of 
the House of Representatives. Godspeed, Henry Hyde.
  Mr. MANZULLO. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).
  Mr. SHIMKUS. I want to thank my colleague, Don Manzullo, for putting 
this together tonight. It is great to listen to my friend and 
colleague, Ray LaHood, and follow Dana Rohrabacher. I think you will 
see a lot of Members speak tonight, and they will say a lot of similar 
things. We have colleagues from Texas, Ohio and New Jersey here, which 
shows the width, breadth and the reach of Chairman Hyde.
  When you come to this institution as a new Member, there are people 
who are national figures and many people learn to become friends with 
them in different ways. I think one of the great privileges is when you 
become a colleague of one of these great figures of history, and as 
Dana Rohrabacher said, he meets the requirements of what you would 
expect and the person that you have idolized and respected over the 
years.
  I follow Ray LaHood who mentioned our bipartisan luncheon. We would 
also get together as a Republican delegation every now and then, and at 
that time we had the Speaker. Before the Speaker would weigh in, he 
would always turn to the dean of the Illinois delegation seeking Henry 
Hyde's counsel, his wisdom, his experience, and his expertise. I think 
that is a sign of a great leader when you know who to go to; and, of 
course, with the great respect we had for the wisdom and the conviction 
of Chairman Hyde.
  When Henry spoke, people really did listen. That is a lot to be said 
because we speak a lot and a lot of times people aren't listened to. 
But Henry Hyde did it, and for many of the reasons that Ray mentioned, 
but I think because of the great respect that people from both sides of 
the aisle had for Henry Hyde.

[[Page H14147]]

  We all have our own little stories to tell. I am an individual who 
struggled personally with the term limits debate. Chairman Hyde would 
just always respectfully beat the heck out of me because of my stated 
position. He said, John, we have term limits; they are called 
elections. When people talk about Henry's strong speeches on the floor 
about term limits, they would think he was for term limits, but Henry 
was adamantly opposed to term limits because he was a constitutionalist 
at heart. He said the Constitution allows for term limits, and that is 
why we go before the voters every 2 years.
  After wearing me down for many, many years, I eventually moved to the 
Henry Hyde position on term limits.
  But that is the type of person he was, not out of a view of political 
expediency or what is right for the public political perception at the 
time, but what was right for the country.
  We have a lot of colleagues down here so I am not going to belabor 
the point. Dana Rohrabacher said it right. I think the great way to 
remember Henry Hyde is to remember life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness. Life in the Hyde amendment. You can say these simply, 
clearly and they identify Chairman Hyde.
  Again, life would be the Hyde amendment. Liberty, aid to the freedom 
fighters in Nicaragua and Central America and the fight against the 
nuclear freeze movement. Chairman Hyde, that was liberty making the 
hard decisions against political expediency to promote democracy and 
freedom.
  And the pursuit of happiness, the Millennium Challenge. It is not 
just the pursuit of happiness for the country, it is the pursuit of 
happiness for the whole world.
  I am honored to be able to be on the floor to take a few minutes to 
thank Chairman Hyde for his friendship, his mentorship. He is and will 
be missed. God bless you, Henry Hyde.
  Mr. MANZULLO. I recognized the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I would like to associate myself with the 
sense of loss we all feel for the passing of Congressman Henry Hyde. As 
I think my colleagues know, Henry Hyde was one of the rarest, most 
accomplished and most distinguished Members of Congress ever to serve. 
He was a class act.
  Henry Hyde was a man of deep and abiding faith, generous to a fault 
with an incisive mind that worked seamlessly with his incredible sense 
of humor. He was a friend and colleague who inspired and challenged us 
to look beyond surface appeal arguments and to take seriously the 
admonitions of Holy Scripture to care for the downtrodden, the 
vulnerable and the least of our brethren.
  On the greatest human rights issue of our time, the right to life for 
unborn children, the disabled and frail elderly, Henry Hyde will always 
be known as the great champion and the great defender of life. No one 
was more logical, compassionate or eloquent in the defense of the 
disenfranchised.
  Because of the Hyde amendment, countless young children and adults 
walk on this Earth today and have an opportunity to love, to learn, to 
experience, to play sports, to get married, to enjoy their 
grandchildren some day, to experience the adventure of life itself 
because they were spared destruction when they were most at risk, 
millions, almost all of whom have no idea how much danger they were in, 
today pursue their dreams and their hopes with expectations and great 
accomplishment.
  With malice towards none, no one, even his most vociferous critics, 
Henry Hyde often took to the House floor to politely ask us to show 
compassion and respect and even love for the innocent and inconvenient 
babies about to be annihilated by abortion.
  A Congressman for 32 years, a chairman for 6 years of the Judiciary 
Committee, and for another 6 years chairman of the International 
Relations Committee, Henry Hyde was a prodigious lawmaker. With uncanny 
skill, determination and grace, he crafted numerous historic bipartisan 
laws and commonsense policies that lifted people out of poverty, helped 
alleviate disease, strengthen the U.S. Code to protect victims and to 
get the criminals off the streets. He was magnificent in his defense of 
democracy and freedom both here and overseas.
  One of his many legislative accomplishments includes his authorship 
of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, a 5-year $15 
billion plan to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. During the 
debate, Chairman Hyde compared the HIV/AIDS crisis to the bubonic 
plague of the 14th century, the black death, and challenged us to enact 
a comprehensive program to rescue the sick, assist the dying and to 
prevent the contagion from spreading.
  Having served with this brilliant one-of-a-kind lawmaker, I know the 
world will truly miss Henry Hyde. Still, we take some comfort in 
knowing that Henry Hyde's kindness, his compassion and generosity will 
live on in the many laws he wrote to protect and enhance the lives of 
others. I, we, will miss this great statesman.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hensarling).
  Mr. HENSARLING. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I must admit I 
feel most inadequate to the task to find words to somehow adequately 
eulogize this great man, this colleague, this friend of ours whom we 
called Henry Hyde.
  I guess the most important thing I can say about him in the time that 
I have served in Congress, I can think of no greater champion of human 
life and human freedom than Henry Hyde.
  When I think about the Hyde amendment and what that means to human 
life, that accomplishment alone is worthy of an entire Congress, and it 
is really the work of one United States Congressman.
  Tens of thousands live today because of Henry Hyde. There can be no 
doubt about that, Mr. Speaker. And often in debate we hear people come 
to the floor and talk about we need to pass this legislation or that 
legislation because we need to do it for the least of these. He, more 
than any other, understood in the depths of his heart that the least of 
these are the unborn. And because of that, he was a champion. And we do 
properly eulogize him tonight.
  You know, in debate, Mr. Speaker, it can get quite contentious. One 
wonders sometimes why a civil society cannot have a civil Congress. But 
I have no doubt that although many occasionally may have thought him 
wrong headed, no one in this institution ever thought he was wrong 
hearted because he always acted out of the purest of motives.

                              {time}  2145

  And as I hearken back to a comment that the gentleman from Illinois 
made before me, it is interesting to note that Henry Hyde was one of 
the few Members of Congress that each of us would come to this floor 
and actually have a greater interest in listening to him than listening 
to ourselves. Very few Members of this body, Mr. Speaker, command that 
kind of attention. But when Henry Hyde spoke, people wanted to listen 
because he brought the force of his intellect, he brought his humor, he 
brought his grace, his kindness, he brought his civility, and he 
brought his humility to this floor. And because of it, Mr. Speaker, I 
know that I am a better person and I believe that every other Member of 
this institution is also better for having known Henry Hyde and being 
able to listen to him.
  We regret his loss, but we thank his family. And I am well acquainted 
with his son Bob, who is a resident of Dallas, as I am, and I just want 
to thank them for loaning him to this great institution and this great 
country. And, again, I know I am a better Member of Congress and a 
better human being because I had an opportunity to meet Henry Hyde. And 
I know that as he meets his Creator, there is no doubt in my mind, Mr. 
Speaker, that he has heard those words, ``Well done, good and faithful 
servant.''
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. 
Schmidt) for 5 minutes.
  Before I formally recognize her, I noted with great interest that 
when Mrs. Schmidt was elected to Congress in that special election, I 
don't think there was a time that I came in when Henry wasn't here that 
Congresswoman Schmidt wasn't seated right next to him talking to him, 
listening to him, and observing his spirit. And it is most appropriate 
that she speak about this

[[Page H14148]]

great American this evening. I recognize Jean Schmidt.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Last week, I was deeply saddened to learn of the 
passing of former Congressman Henry Hyde. The United States lost a 
great statesman. I lost a role model and a valued friend. We all lost a 
man who exemplified civility and led a life dedicated to his country, 
serving others and his ideals. His story should serve as a beacon of 
hope for all who knew of him.
  Congressman Hyde came from humble roots. He earned a basketball 
scholarship to college, fought in World War II, and earned a law 
degree. He was the American Dream.
  Congressman Hyde was first elected to Congress in 1975. As a stalwart 
in Congress for nearly 3 decades, it was his voice of civility and 
passion which Members from both sides of the aisle respected and 
appreciated and which he is oftentimes remembered for the most. But he 
is most often remembered by all for the Hyde Amendment, legislation to 
prohibit the use of Federal taxpayer dollars for abortions in the 
United States.
  During his years in Congress, he not only worked to protect the lives 
of the unborn, but he also was active in the United States and Russian 
relations during the Cold War, wrote legislation to address worldwide 
AIDS epidemic, and presided over the House impeachment proceedings of 
President Clinton.
  Most will remember Henry Hyde for all that he was able to accomplish 
as a Member of Congress. I will remember him as a man who was true to 
his ideals and who spoke to our hopes, not our fears.
  His legislative accomplishments were just a reflection of who he was. 
His compassion for the unborn and the weak and the forgotten was not 
simply a veneer pasted on for public consumption. He understood the 
meaning of life and championed laws to protect it from its natural 
conception to its natural death. He treated everyone he met as if he or 
she were the most important person in the world because he saw them as 
God's children and knew that they were.
  Congressman Hyde was truly a life well lived. The country and the 
world have experienced a great loss. I have lost a dear friend on this 
floor. My condolences go out to his entire family. I truly feel 
privileged to have served with such a great man. And I would like to 
add that, when I was elected, I was excited to meet here, but I was 
most excited to meet Congressman Hyde. May he rest in peace in the 
Lord's arms.
  Mr. MANZULLO. I recognize the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a real honor to rise and speak of the life of a 
great American statesman and a true friend of the American people and a 
personal friend, Congressman Henry Hyde.
  When I arrived here in the Congress in 1993, Henry Hyde was already 
legendary. He had many years before that begun work on the Hyde 
Amendment, which established for now some 30-plus years the principle 
that the American taxpayers' dollars would not be used to fund 
abortions. That principle has stood with us all these years and I 
believe will stand with us well beyond Congressman Hyde's passing. It 
was a great legacy.
  In addition, Congressman Hyde was known as an outstanding orator, a 
public speaker of the first order. He brought both his keen intellect 
and sharp wit with his heart to the speeches that he gave on this 
floor, and he commanded the attention of his colleagues and often 
changed the minds of people who might have been very much hardened 
against the position that he was putting forward. He did it with 
considerable skill, with considerable intellect, and with considerable 
commitment.
  When I arrived in 1993, I became very much aware of his personal 
attention that he gave to other Members of this House. As a new Member, 
he helped me through one of the more difficult committees to serve on 
in the Congress, the Judiciary Committee. And when we gained the 
majority, the Republican majority in 1994, the Republican leadership 
recognized Henry Hyde's capabilities and actually passed him over other 
Members of the Congress to make him chairman of that committee, knowing 
that that committee had an enormous task ahead of it because, as many 
will recall, in 1994, Republican Members campaigned for election on the 
Contract for America. What many may not realize is that of the nearly 
30 bills that comprised the 10 principles that made up the Contract for 
America, more than half of them went through the Judiciary Committee, 
and Congressman Hyde shepherded each one of those through the committee 
and then across the floor of the House, and many subsequently passed 
the Senate as well and became law. And he accomplished that not just by 
his own hard work and dedication, but by delegating responsibility to 
virtually every Member of the committee on both sides of the aisle in 
some instances, in fact, giving new Members like myself an opportunity 
to play a key role in managing that legislation and offering key 
amendments, because he recognized the importance of operating the 
committee in an open and fair fashion.
  His greatest challenge may have come with the impeachment of 
President Clinton. And I served on the committee with him during that 
very difficult time as well. The impeachment of the President of the 
United States is one of the more serious things that the Congress has 
to deal with, and it is certainly something that can evoke great 
emotions and can bring about great contention in the committee. But 
Chairman Hyde managed the committee with great fairness, with great 
attention to detail, and did so at a time when he was personally 
vilified and attacked in a number of different ways, most unfairly, and 
yet did it with equanimity, with grace, and I think commanded the 
respect of Members on both sides of the aisle as he handled that very, 
very difficult challenge, and did so, I might add, successfully in 
bringing forward impeachment resolutions which were sound, which passed 
the House of Representatives, and which I think spoke for all time 
about the importance of the respect of the rule of law by all of those 
who serve in government, even in the highest places.
  Henry Hyde was an individual who believed very, very deeply in our 
Constitution, and he showed that through his hard, hard work for 6 
years as chairman of the Judiciary Committee in passing a multitude of 
pieces of legislation that showed that great respect for our 
Constitution. But he was more than simply a believer in the rule of 
law. He was a believer in the human heart. And he showed that time and 
time again in his work with other Members of this Congress, as we have 
heard some mentioned here this evening, and also in his work 
internationally; because after he completed his work as chairman of the 
Judiciary Committee, he was given another important and great challenge 
of serving as chairman of the International Relations Committee. And I 
have had the opportunity to see him in action with Presidents and Prime 
Ministers, to see the kind of respect that he commanded from world 
leaders because of his leadership of that committee and because of his 
great concern for the promotion of American interests around the world. 
Those interests are very pure, interests of promoting democracy and 
opportunity for freedom and peace for people in every corner of the 
globe.
  I have not had the privilege of serving on the International 
Relations Committee, but I have had the opportunity to serve for 14 
years on the Judiciary Committee with Congressman Hyde, and I will 
never forget the leadership that he provided on that committee and in 
this Congress. He has been an inspiration to me, he has been an 
inspiration to millions of other Americans, and he deserves to be 
recognized as one of the greatest statesmen of our time. And I thank 
the gentleman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. MANZULLO. I yield to the Congressman from Arizona, Trent Franks, 
10 minutes.
  Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. I thank Congressman Manzullo.
  Henry Hyde was perhaps more responsible than any other Member of this 
body for allowing me to become a Member of Congress, and I stand here 
thanking him for his work and for him allowing me to come to this 
place.
  Mr. Speaker, our moment in history is marked by mortal conflict 
between a culture of life and a culture of death.

[[Page H14149]]

God put us in this world to do noble things, to love and to cherish our 
fellow human beings, not to destroy them. Today, we must choose sides.
  Mr. Speaker, those words were spoken by one Henry Hyde, who in 1924 
was born in the same State that once gave us an Abraham Lincoln who 
guided America through that terrible storm that brought about the end 
of a cancer called slavery that it had embedded itself so deeply in 
American policy.
  That same greatness of spirit that compelled Abraham Lincoln to 
remind our Nation that all men are created equal also compelled Henry 
Hyde to spend 32 years of his life serving this body in defense of that 
same truth.
  Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde said, ``We are the heirs of 1776, and of an 
epic moment in history of human affairs when the Founders of this 
Republic pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. 
Think of that, their sacred honor, to the defense of the rule of law. 
The rule of law is to safeguard our liberties. The rule of law is what 
allows us to live in our freedom in ways that honor the freedom of 
others.''
  Mr. Speaker, whether working to overturn the horrors of child sex 
slavery, of sex trafficking, or advocating to protect victims of human 
rights abuse, or improving the lives of children, families, seniors, 
and military veterans, or protecting the innocent from the threat of 
terrorism, or striving to bring clean water and basic sanitation to the 
poorest of the poor all over the world, Henry Hyde was truly a man who 
gave himself to the cause of honoring and protecting the equal, 
inherent, and profound dignity of every member of the human family.
  He carried himself with such honor and dignity and true nobility, and 
yet never wavered in the strength or perseverance of his convictions. 
Like President Ronald Reagan, he carried a reputation for being a happy 
warrior.

                              {time}  2200

  And, Mr. Speaker, while the hallmark of Henry Hyde's life was the 
compassion for all of humanity, the driving force of his work in 
Congress was the dedication to protecting and restoring the 
constitutional rights for an entirely unprotected class of humanity he 
called the ``defenseless unborn.''
  Henry Hyde was instrumental in crafting legislation such as the 
Mexico City policy and the partial birth abortion ban. Perhaps his most 
world-changing initiative came in the form of the legendary Hyde 
amendment which passed 2 years after he first came to Washington in 
1976. It prohibited the practice of taxpayers being forced to pay for 
abortions. The year before, taxpayer funds had provided for more than 
300,000 abortions in America. Mr. Speaker, at the very least, over 1 
million little souls have lived to feel the warmth of sunlight and 
freedom on their faces because of the Hyde amendment and the work of 
Henry Hyde, and that number could well be in the millions. That is a 
legacy no words of mine can ever express.
  Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde once said, ``This is not a debate about 
religious doctrine or even about public policy options. It is a debate 
about our understanding of human dignity, what it means to be a member 
of the human family, even though tiny, powerless and unwanted.''
  Henry Hyde was a man of unwavering principle, an unflinching patriot 
who never hesitated to confront even the fiercest controversies once he 
believed that he was fighting on the side of truth, God, and human 
freedom. Not only did he fight tirelessly for those truths, he spoke 
them so powerfully that he deeply and profoundly moved the heart of 
America. He stirred this body on countless occasions and helped to 
rekindle the conscience of this Nation, and the legacy of his words 
will resonate long after every one of us has walked out of that Chamber 
for the very last time.
  Last month, Mr. Speaker, Congressman Henry Hyde was honored by the 
President of the United States with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 
the highest award that can be bestowed on any civilian. ``He used his 
persuasive powers for noble causes'' according to the President. ``He 
was a gallant champion of the weak and the forgotten, and a fearless 
defender of life in all of his seasons.''
  Mr. Speaker, back in 1857 in the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme 
Court said that the black man was not a person under the Constitution, 
and it took a civil war to reverse that tragedy.
  In the rise of the Nazi Holocaust, we saw the German high tribunal 
say that Jews were unworthy of being classed as humans, and a tragedy 
that beggars our understanding followed as a result.
  Then in 1973 we saw the Supreme Court of the United States of America 
take from the innocent unborn children the most basic human right of 
all, the right to live. And in all three cases, Mr. Speaker, a great 
human tragedy followed. The Civil War took more lives than any war in 
our history. The world war that arrested the Nazi Holocaust took 50 
million lives worldwide, and even saw atomic bombs fall on cities.
  And today we stand in retrospect and wonder how the compassion of 
humanity did not rise in defense of those who could not defend 
themselves when such horrible atrocities might have been prevented. And 
yet, there and here, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, 
we have killed 50 million of our own children in what should have been 
the safe sanctuary of their own mother's wombs. They died nameless and 
alone, their mothers were never the same, Mr. Speaker, and all of the 
gifts those children might have brought to humanity are now lost 
forever.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no way for me to add to the power of the 
immortal words of that gallant statesman, Henry Hyde himself. He said 
something I wish that every American, every person on Earth could hear. 
He said, ``When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that 
awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen 
wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no 
advocates. You are there standing alone before God, and a terror will 
rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think 
that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there 
will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world, 
but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world. And they will 
plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, 
spare him because he loved us. And God will look at you and say, not 
did you succeed, but did you try?''
  Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde truly tried. And I am convinced that the day 
will still come in America when the warm sunlight of life will finally 
break through these clouds and shine once again on the faces of unborn 
children in this Nation. And when that day comes, history will record 
that it is a great champion named Henry Hyde who waged a quiet war for 
the defenseless unborn in the Halls of this Congress. And he reached up 
to hold the hand of an unseen God and reached down to hold the hand of 
an unnamed little baby and refused to let go until the storm was gone.
  And, Mr. Speaker, if I'm wrong, and somehow America never finds its 
way out of this horrible darkness of abortion on demand, I know more 
than anything else in the world that the Lord of the universe still 
hears the cries of every last one of his children. And no matter who or 
where they are, if time turns every star in heaven to ashes, I know in 
my soul, as Henry Hyde knew in his, that that eternal moment of God's 
deliverance will come to every last one of them.
  Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde was a true and noble champion and he will 
live forever in our hearts and minds as a warrior for the cause of 
human freedom and human life. May his family, his many friends, and 
loved ones be comforted in the peace and assurance of knowing that 
their courageous father and husband and friend has been welcomed by an 
eternal chorus of voices and has now walked safely into the arms of God 
and heard him whisper, ``Well done, thou good and faithful servant.''
  God bless Henry Hyde.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the remaining time 
that we have.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Altmire). The gentleman has 
approximately 20 minutes remaining.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Okay. I'll claim 5 minutes for myself.
  I was elected to this Congress in 1992, was sworn in in 1993, and 
never got used to the name Congressman. When someone said Congressman, 
I would turn around and I'd look for Henry

[[Page H14150]]

Hyde. I thought that you had to be here an unnamed number of years and 
garner the utmost respect of your colleagues before you could be called 
by that name, Congressman.
  And I had the opportunity to work with Henry. I recall in either 1993 
or 1994, when it was going to be very difficult because of some 
procedural problem for Henry Hyde to offer the Hyde amendment, and the 
only way that he could do that was through unanimous consent of this 
body. It was on I believe an appropriations bill. I sat next to Henry 
Hyde at this table to my immediate right, and he turned to me and he 
said, Don, if I can't offer this amendment, tens of thousands of 
children will die. And I was numbed by what he said, and also by the 
immense power that one person could have to intervene in the lives of 
those who had not, who could not see the light of day because of their 
circumstances.
  The chairman of the Appropriations Committee, William Natcher, from 
Mississippi stood up in a very noisy Chamber, and he said, I ask 
unanimous consent in this body that the Hyde amendment be allowed in 
order. And I remember him peering over those glasses, this man from 
Mississippi who never missed a vote on the floor of the House of 
Representatives. One person could have said, I object, and no one did. 
And Henry Hyde offered the amendment that particular afternoon and it 
passed this body and went on to become part of the continuing law 
forbidding the use of taxpayers' funding for abortions. I shall never 
forget the sweat that was emanating from his body, how his hands were 
being wrung together. And I never thought it possible that one person 
could make that much of a difference in the United States Congress. And 
he made the difference to people who could never vote for him. He just 
did it because he said that this is the right thing to do.
  And there were other occasions in my career as a Member of Congress 
where I would see him stand up. And when Henry Hyde stood up to speak, 
this noisy body of 435 independent contractors would become very quiet 
and listen to Henry Hyde. When the Contract with America was penned, 
and he handled several bills dealing with that very difficult piece of, 
series of legislation, in the section on product liability he allowed 
me to give the concluding speech on the floor because one of the 
companies that I represent back in Rockford, Illinois, had gone out of 
business on the 100th anniversary because it was sued over a machine 
that it had manufactured 50 years earlier. And sitting on the desk of 
the president of that great company was a summons starting a suit over 
a machine that was manufactured at the time of the House of Romanov 
when it ruled Russia. And he gave me the honor of giving the concluding 
speech on that very difficult topic.
  You ask yourselves, where are the Henry Hydes of America today? Where 
are the orators of this House? And no one stands up because they're 
gone.
  I would recognize the gentleman from Illinois, Peter Roskam, for as 
much time as he would consume.
  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, you know, as I've sat and listened this 
evening to the tributes of Congressman Hyde, a couple of things have 
become clear to me, that there's an element, a great sense of loss 
tonight among us about a man that people on both sides of the aisle 
really came to respect and admire and deeply appreciate.
  As I've thought about Congressman Hyde and the role that he played, 
he came to Congress in 1974, that was a very difficult time for the 
Republican Party. He's one of the few people that was successful in a 
campaign after the scandal of Watergate, and came in and in a way Henry 
Hyde was a conservative in the House of Representatives before 
conservative was cool. He was passionate about a strong America and 
understanding fundamentally what our Nation's role was in the world.
  We've talked a lot over the past several minutes about Henry Hyde and 
his pro-life legacy. There was another passion that he had, and I think 
it was inextricably linked to his view of life and defending it at all 
ages, and that was his high view of freedom. He was a person who 
understood fundamentally that the United States had a very special role 
to play.
  I was a staffer for him and remember him talking about the captive 
nations. That was a phrase that was used to capture the description of 
the Eastern Bloc nations. And you see, in Henry Hyde's district, in the 
Sixth District of Illinois, there were a whole host of immigrants, 
folks who had come to this land of America because America was free. 
And Henry Hyde represented that constituency well. And it was a people 
that had been formed largely by their suffering under a tyrannical 
communist regime. And when Henry Hyde came to office in 1974, in those 
years before the 1980 election, he was among a small group of people in 
the House, I think, that really understood what was at stake.
  Turned out Ronald Reagan won a historic election in 1980. It was a 
land slide really of epic proportion.

                              {time}  2215

  And Henry Hyde was one of those people that was positioned in the 
House of Representatives, Mr. Speaker, to be one of Ronald Reagan's 
partners over the next 8 years on what has been nothing short of a 
transformation of American foreign policy.
  Henry Hyde was a pivotal figure in the mid-1980s when the House 
turned to him and asked him to play a key role at the time in the Iran-
Contra investigation. And I remember working for him at that time and a 
whole great deal of activity. And when I was looking at my boss, 
Congressman Hyde, during the committee hearings, every time he asked a 
question, every time he made a point, there was a sense of clarity 
about him that was just very, very inviting. He understood what was 
going on. He didn't shy away from a political fight, as we all know, 
but he had this way about him that was a way to engage people in such a 
way that he was able to persuade them. He was sort of the old school of 
American politics in that he wasn't satisfied merely to have a debate. 
No. This was a guy who wanted to persuade you. And his view was, look, 
if you knew what I knew and if you had seen what I have seen and if you 
understand what I understand, then surely looking at this evidence 
you'll be persuaded, as I am, to this way of thinking. And I think the 
way that he approached that, Mr. Speaker, was very inviting in a way.
  Listen, he was at a pivotal point in our public life together in very 
difficult times for our country. But we all know, as we reflect on this 
great man, that he did it with a sense of duty, he did it with a sense 
of honor, and he did it in a way that he always upheld his oath to 
protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
  I remember the first time I met Henry Hyde, I was interviewing in his 
office, and it was when he was in the Rayburn building, room 2104 in 
the Rayburn building. It was, I think, an April evening, if I'm not 
mistaken, in the mid-1980s, and I had a chance to interview with my own 
congressman, Henry Hyde, to become possibly a legislative assistant. I 
went in. I handed him my resume. And I have an independent 
recollection, as I am standing here today, of Henry Hyde looking out 
over me in these half glasses and kind of clearing his throat looking 
at the resume, sort of looking it over, and I remember feeling very 
intimidated because at the time, after all, I was in a conversation 
with Henry Hyde. Well, to make a long story short, he very graciously 
offered me the job.
  And what I will say is this. We serve with a whole cast of characters 
here in Congress. And we see one another many times on the floor, and 
we interact with one another, and we see one another in the hallways. 
But when you really want to get to know a Member, you ask the staff 
what is that person really like? The staff people who are working for 
that Member, out of the public view, behind closed doors in the office 
when nobody is around, and I will tell you this: Henry Hyde was the 
same person to work for as the person who would appear here on the 
floor of the House of Representatives. He was gracious. Now, he 
expected you to work hard. He expected excellence on the part of his 
staff, and he wanted you to do a good job. But the same pleasant man 
that you encountered and is fondly remembered here this evening was the 
same person that interacted with his staff.
  You know, there are different ways to measure people. And I called 
Congressman Hyde on the phone in April of this year. I was walking into 
the Cannon building. It was an early morning.

[[Page H14151]]

And I called him on my cell phone, and I caught him at home. It was 
fairly early. And I said, ``Henry, I have been here for 4 months.'' I 
said, ``I marvel at what you were able to accomplish during the time 
that you were here.''
  Many of us come from legislative bodies, State legislatures or county 
legislative bodies, and they are fairly intimate affairs, actually. 
They're fairly small groups of legislators that come together. But when 
you think of the figurative shadow that he cast on legislation for the 
past 30 years, it was a thing to behold.
  I know he enjoyed the phone call, but it wasn't false flattery. It 
was actually admiration from somebody who has recently come to succeed 
him in Congress.
  Finally, in closing, Mr. Speaker, I remember when I sat with 
Congressman Hyde several months before I came to this body, and at the 
end of a very pleasant conversation as we went back and forth on issues 
and talked about local politics and State politics and national 
politics and all kinds of issues, he said a word to me. When I share it 
with you, Mr. Speaker, it is going to sound like a very common thing. 
But when you're me and you are seated across from Henry J. Hyde, it 
didn't sound very common at that point. And he said to me this: He 
said, ``Peter, this is important work in Congress. This is important 
work.'' And there was an urgency with what he was saying to me that 
day. And it wasn't the whimsy of an old man who was just reflecting 
back on 32 years of service, but it was the admonition of a statesman 
who had looked out over the horizon and really understood the great 
challenges but, even more, the great opportunities that are here for us 
in the United States of America.
  So I know that I am joined by many, many, many Americans who 
considered Henry Hyde to be their congressman, to be America's 
congressman. And so it is with a great sense of pride and also a great 
sense of sadness and loss that I rise today, like so many of my 
colleagues, to honor his memory.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Reclaiming my time, there are some great Henry Hyde 
stories. The first time I met him was in his office in your 
congressional district, and he was wearing this incredible Hawaiian 
shirt, and sticking out of his pocket was this oversized cigar. I had 
never seen a cigar that big in my entire life. And he was a connoisseur 
of his cigars. And I remember one time my Chief of Staff had given me 
this cigar. He said, ``I got this and you've got to give this to Henry 
Hyde the next time you see him.'' So I was carrying this cigar in my 
pocket, and I needed him to sign a document, and he signed the 
document, and I said, ``Henry, I've got this cigar for you.'' And I 
think his eyes got bigger than that cigar.
  What a sense of humor, what a joy, what a thrill to have served with 
him. We are honored and blessed to have served with somebody by the 
name of Henry Hyde of Illinois.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues 
and friends this evening to honor the life of former International 
Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde.
  Throughout his 32 years in the House of Representatives, Congressman 
Hyde was a pioneer of conservative values and principles. As chairmen 
of the Judiciary Committee and the International Relations Committee, 
he fought to preserve the sanctity of life and to promote the tenets of 
freedom. His career is a testament to his character and his love for 
this country. It was all too fitting that President Bush honored this 
life and legacy earlier this year when he awarded Congressman Hyde the 
Medal of Freedom--America's highest civilian honor.
  For those of us who had the pleasure to know Chairman Hyde 
personally, we were touched by his immense dedication to public 
service, his integrity, and the wisdom he imparted to us all. He was a 
founding father of modern American Conservatism promoting the expansion 
of freedom and the limiting of government.
  I am grateful to have known and worked with this tremendous 
individual, and I am grateful for his service to this Nation. Our 
thoughts and prayers are with the entire Hyde family during this 
difficult time.

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