December 5, 2007

**Please Join in Honoring and Remembering former Congressman Henry J.
Hyde**

Dear Colleague:

With the recent passing of former Congressman Henry Hyde, it is only
fitting that our body take a moment to honor and remember the indelible
mark Chairman Hyde left on this institution.

Chairman Hyde unequivocally embodied the title of statesman. His
leadership when speaking on the House floor drew attention from each
member in the chamber. The clarity of his thoughts, the wisdom of his
foresight and the principled values he espoused were as unparalleled as
his respect for the integrity of the House of Representatives.

Chairman Hyde represented Illinois' 6^th^ Congressional District with
distinction for more than three decades, and he will forever be
remembered for his work. Chairman Hyde maintained bipartisan civility
throughout his many years of dedicated services.

I urge my colleagues to join me in saluting the former chairman by
becoming a cosponsor of H.Res. 843, mourning the passing of Congressman
Henry J. Hyde and celebrating his leadership and service to the people
of Illinois and the United States of America (resolution text below).
Please contact Victoria Sanville of my staff at 5-4561 or
[[victoria.sanville@mail.house.gov]{.underline}](mailto:victoria.sanville@mail.house.gov)
to cosponsor this important resolution.

Sincerely,

/s

Peter J. Roskam

Member of Congress

Illinois' 6^th^ Congressional District

*Original Cosponsors: Costello, Lipinski, Manzullo, Weller, T. Johnson,
LaHood, Danny Davis, Kirk, Shimkus, Boehner, Blunt, C. Smith, Pitts*

**H.RES.843**

**Whereas all Members of Congress affect the history of the United
States, but Congressman Henry J. Hyde leaves a legacy as one of the most
principled and influential public servants\... (Introduced in House)**

HRES 843 IH

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

**H. RES. 843**

Mourning the passing of Congressman Henry J. Hyde and celebrating his
leadership and service to the people of Illinois and the United States
of America.

**IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES**

**December 4, 2007**

Mr. ROSKAM (for himself, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr.
SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. PITTS, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. WELLER of Illinois,
Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. KIRK,
Mr. SHIMKUS, and Mr. BLUNT) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on House Administration

![](media/image1.wmf){width="12.903472222222222in"
height="2.013888888888889e-2in"}

**RESOLUTION**

Mourning the passing of Congressman Henry J. Hyde and celebrating his
leadership and service to the people of Illinois and the United States
of America.

Whereas all Members of Congress affect the history of the United States,
but Congressman Henry J. Hyde leaves a legacy as one of the most
principled and influential public servants of his generation that will
endure for many years;

Whereas millions of men and women across America mourn the death of the
distinguished former Congressman from Illinois;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde, upon his graduation from high school, earned a
scholarship to play basketball at Georgetown University, and
participated in the 1942 NCAA national championship basketball
tournament;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde served valorously in the United States Navy from
1944 to 1946 in the South Pacific, New Guinea, and the Lingayen Gulf and
continued to serve in the Naval Reserve until 1968;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde returned to the United States from active duty in
1946, graduated a year later with a bachelor of arts degree, and went on
to earn a law degree from Loyola University Law School in 1950;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde served in the Illinois House of Representatives
from 1967-1974;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde was elected to serve Illinois\'s 6th Congressional
District in the United States House of Representatives in 1974;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde will be remembered for his impassioned defense of
innocent human life, including, in his first term in Congress, his
success in passing a ban on Federal funding of abortions through an
amendment commonly referred to as the Hyde Amendment that remains one of
the most notable and lasting achievements of his distinguished career;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde was named chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee in 1995 and played a vital role in the passage of key elements
of the Contract with America, and as a skilled lawyer and someone who
loved the practice of law, he understood and respected the rule of law
as an essential part of American Democracy;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde was instrumental in the early 1980s
reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and known for
initiatives including the Family and Medical Leave Act, nutrition
programs for women, infants, and children, Federal standards for
collection of child support, and landmark patent, copyright, and
trademark reform legislation;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde was named chairman of the House International
Relations Committee in 2001 and worked across the political divide to
successfully enact legislation to address the burgeoning international
HIV/AIDS crisis, and also succeeded in enacting landmark foreign
assistance legislation, including the creation of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, and the expansion of United States funding for
microenterprise initiatives aimed at helping the poor and vulnerable;

Whereas during his long distinguished career, Henry J. Hyde played an
integral role in debates over United States-Soviet relations, Central
America policy, the War Powers Act, the Taiwan Relations Act, NATO
expansion, and the investigation of the Iran-Contra affair;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde highly respected the institutional integrity of
the House of Representatives, and was a forceful advocate for
maintaining the dignity of the House and for recognizing the sacrifices
and struggles Members make while in its service;

Whereas, in 2006, Henry J. Hyde retired from the House of
Representatives, where he maintained ties of bipartisan civility
throughout the more than three decades of dedicated service;

Whereas Henry J. Hyde was awarded the Nation\'s highest civilian honor,
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on November 5, 2007, for tirelessly
championing the weak and forgotten and working to build a more hopeful
America and promote a culture of life; and

Whereas Henry J. Hyde has been characterized as a statesman, a
constitutional scholar, a person with sharp wit and a keen sense of
history, a passionate orator, a compassionate man, and a person who has
left an indelible mark on the legacy of the United States House of
Representatives: Now, therefore, be it

> *Resolved,* That the House of Representatives\--
>
> \(1\) expresses its appreciation for the profound dedication and
> public service of Congressman Henry J. Hyde;
>
> \(2\) notes that he was preceded in death by his late wife Jeanne
> Simpson and his son, Henry \`Hank\' Hyde;
>
> \(3\) tenders its deep sympathy to his wife, Judy Wolverton, to his
> children, Robert, Laura, and Anthony, and to the entire family of the
> former Member of Congress and staff;
>
> \(4\) directs that the eulogies offered concerning the life of the
> Honorable Henry J. Hyde, former Representative from the State of
> Illinois, be bound and printed as a House document; and
>
> \(5\) directs the Clerk of the House to transmit a copy of this
> resolution to the family of Congressman Henry J. Hyde.