[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 19761-19762]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING CHAIRMAN HENRY J. HYDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 31, 2006, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to take this 
opportunity to reflect on the awe-inspiring career of Chairman Henry J. 
Hyde. It is difficult to imagine this House without Henry's wisdom, his 
leadership and his wit. Chairman Hyde has led our International 
Relations Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, prior to his 
current chairmanship, with grace and fairness.
  Vice President Cheney summed up the essence of Henry Hyde very well 
when he recently noted, as a committee chairman and in all of his 
dealings, Henry Hyde has been the soul of fairness and balance. If you 
had any kind of trouble in your life, you would want someone like Henry 
to plead your case, and you would want someone like Henry to decide 
your case. He understands people. He knows that we live in an imperfect 
world, and he greets his fellow man with an openness, a generosity of 
spirit, and an easy manner that draws others to him.
  Henry is remarkable, not only for the formidable body of legislation 
that he has championed in his very long career, but also for the life 
of service and dedication that he continues to lead.
  Born and raised in the Windy City, Chairman Hyde enlisted in the U.S. 
Navy at the age of 18 and served with distinction during World War II, 
eventually rising to the rank of commander before his retirement from 
the Naval Reserve in 1968. He attended Duke and Notre Dame before 
coming to the town that would eventually become his second home, 
earning a bachelor's from Georgetown in 1947. It is not difficult to 
picture Henry in his undergraduate years musing to himself, ``I'll be 
back.''
  Henry and Jeanne were married soon thereafter. Then they returned to 
the great State of Illinois, settling in Chicago. Henry earned a law 
degree from Loyola in 1949. He started life in office

[[Page 19762]]

in 1966, and has forged ever upward ever since, rising through the 
Illinois State House and becoming majority leader before his election 
to represent the Sixth District of Illinois in Congress in 1974.
  In the 32 years since joining this House, Henry has made an indelible 
mark on the history of this institution and on the consciousness of our 
Nation. The eloquence of his speech, the elegance of his bearing, and 
the eternity of his convictions have won him a place as one of our 
Nation's most treasured legislators. Henry has been lauded in a great 
many ways, but writer David Horowitz memorably and accurately called 
him a Gibraltar of conviction, an avatar of grace.
  September 11, 2001 was, as many have noted, a day that forever 
changed our destiny and our thinking. With his usual sense of clarity 
and his eloquence, Henry Hyde assessed the grave threats we now face 
from extremists, noting on the 1-year anniversary of the attacks, ``Our 
enemies have no aim except destruction, nothing to offer but a forced 
march back to a bleak and dismal past. Theirs is a world without 
light.''
  Indeed, Henry has shed light on many of the important issues facing 
our Nation and, indeed, the world. His stewardship of the Committee on 
International Relations has been one of principle and grace. He has 
sought to shed light on the furthest reach of earth, promoting 
democracy wherever it was absent, and promoting human rights wherever 
they were lacking. His efforts to fight AIDS around the world have 
inspired a generation of legislators on both sides of the aisle.
  Henry's endeavors in the domestic sphere have been no less ambitious. 
His efforts to protect life, to safeguard Old Glory, and defending 
victims of sexual abuse have greatly resounded with the American 
people.
  How fortunate we are to have been blessed with the awesome presence 
of a man of such stunning conviction. Serving with Chairman Hyde has 
been a remarkable privilege. I could not have hoped for a more caring 
and able mentor or a friend of more steadfast loyalty and kindness. 
There is hardly a soul in this Chamber who has not been touched by his 
graceful leadership and his righteous conviction.
  Mr. Speaker, we are grateful for the great example that Henry Hyde 
represents to our Chamber, our Nation, and to the world. We are so 
grateful to Henry Hyde for many decades of guidance and inspiration. It 
is difficult to express how much he will be missed by all of us.

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