IV 

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 

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; 


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•HRES 843 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 843 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 843 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses its appreciation for the profound 

3 dedication and public service of Congressman Henry 

4 J. Hyde; 

5 (2) notes that he was preceded in death by his 

6 late wife Jeanne Simpson and his son, Henry 

7 ‘‘Hank’’ Hyde; 

8 (3) tenders its deep sympathy to his wife, Judy 

9 Wolverton, to his children, Robert, Laura, and An10 thony, and to the entire family of the former Mem11 ber of Congress and staff; 

12 (4) directs that the eulogies offered concerning 

13 the life of the Honorable Henry J. Hyde, former 

14 Representative from the State of Illinois, be bound 

15 and printed as a House document; and 


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•HRES 843 IH 

1 (5) directs the Clerk of the House to transmit 

2 a copy of this resolution to the family of Congress3 man Henry J. Hyde. 

Æ 


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