H. Res. 843 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

December 17, 2007. 

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 to 1974; 
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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 opposition to abortion, and the Hyde Amendment, 

which banned the federal funding of abortion; 

Whereas Henry J. Hyde was named chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary 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 Committee on International Relations 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 
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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 3 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 

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 with a distinguished career 

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; 
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(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. 

Attest: 

Clerk.