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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 843, mourning the passage of Congressman Henry Hyde and celebrating his leadership and service to the people of Illinois and the United States of America.

And at this time I would like to recognize for 5 minutes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), who is the prime sponsor of this legislation, and the successor to Henry Hyde in that seat from the great State of Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, one of the most fortunate things I've had happen in my life is that I was able to serve for 12 years with Henry Hyde; 10 years during the first period of time I served, and then the first 2 years of my return to the Congress. For 10 of those years, well, all 12 of those years, I served on the Judiciary Committee with him, and he was, in my mind, a great man.

We all have our heroes, I suppose, in life. My dad's a hero of mine. Ronald Reagan was a hero of mine. Mother Theresa is a hero of mine. And in this House, Henry Hyde was and continues to be a hero of mine.

Recently, we have had a lot of debate and discussion in the national press about the appropriate place for religion and religious values in public debate. The speech given by the former Governor of Massachusetts, Governor Romney, has been called the speech reminding people of the speech given by another gentleman from Massachusetts some 40 years ago, President John F. Kennedy. And in their own way, they were both outstanding speeches.

But one of the speeches I recall on the same subject was given by Henry Hyde. It was the speech he gave at my alma matter, the University of Notre Dame, in the same year that Governor Cuomo gave a speech to the university, attempting to the address the question of what the proper role was of religious values in public life.

Now, it was particularized in the fact that both Governor Cuomo and Henry Hyde were Roman Catholics. But what they said there and what Henry said there is not limited merely to a Catholic in public service, but goes to the question of what someone who has deeply held religious values should do when confronted with the great ideas of their time.

Perhaps the greatest example in political history is that of Sir Thomas Moore, also known as St. Thomas Moore, immortalized in the great play, ``A Man for All Seasons,'' when he attempted to try and deal with the tremendous disconnect at times between what in the secular world appears to be an obvious conflict between deeply held values and your responsibility as an elected or appointed figure.

Similarly, in a closer period of time in our history, a work that influenced the speech of John Kennedy was a great writing by John Courtney Murray called, ``We Hold These Truths.'' John Courtney Murray was a tremendous Jesuit priest and political theorist whose work probably was the greatest influence in the Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council in understanding what political liberty was all about. And I have used both of those writings in trying to understand what my obligation in life is.

But ranking alongside both of those works is this work by Henry Hyde called, ``For Every Idle Silence.'' He took that from a statement by St. Ambrose. He said, Not only for every idle word but for every silence must man render an account. Henry Hyde believed that.

In the speech at my alma mater, Henry Hyde said in 1984, ``This must be an election year. Everyone is talking about theology.'' The reason I mention that is here we are 20-some years past that time, and there are those that believe that this issue is arising for the first time, and somehow we have some difficulty in understanding what it's all about.

So I would just like to reflect on a few words of Henry Hyde in that speech which perhaps would give us some direction as we approach that same issue this year. He said, ``First and hopefully most obviously, we are not arguing about the creation of a theocracy or anything remotely approaching it. We're not talking about declaring ourselves a Christian Nation or a Nation under any religion.''

But he said, ``We are, as our coinage and our Pledge of Allegiance asserts, a Nation `under God': that means a Nation under God's judgment, constantly reminded by our smallest coin that the true measure of ourselves comes from beyond ourselves. Again, for the church as well as for democracy, let us preserve the integrity of both the political process and the church.''

And he went on to say, ``In the second place, we are not arguing about whether `religion and politics should mix.' This formula, so simple, is also deceptive and disorienting. Religion, the expression of what theologian Paul Tillich called our `ultimate concern,' and politics have `mixed,' intermingled, shaped and influenced each other centuries before the conversion of Constantine.''

And Henry goes on to say, ``And this has been true of our American experiment as well. The claim that American religion has always been `intensely private between the individual and God' would surely have come as news to John Winthrop and the Pilgrims, to Jonathan Edwards, to the Abolitionists, to Lincoln, to 15 generations of the black church, and not least to American Catholics taught by the magisterial John Courtney Murray, architect of the Vatican Council's `Declaration on Religious Liberty.' Throughout our history, religious values have always been a part of the public policy debate. Religious values, particularly the Judeo-Christian tradition's insistence on the inherent dignity and inviolable worth of each individual human life, lie at the root of what Murray called the `American Proposition.''

``Yes,'' Henry says, ``other influences shaped the Founders of our Republic. Enlightenment modes of political philosophy play their important role, too. But to borrow a phrase momentarily from the Marxists, `it is no accident' that Benjamin Franklin, one of the deistic Founders, proposed as a device on the Great Seal of the United States a picture of Moses lifting up his staff and dividing the Red Sea while the Pharaoh was overwhelmed in its waters, with the motto `Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.'

``Jefferson, often considered the most implacable foe of `mixing' religion and politics, countered with the suggestion that the Great Seal depict the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.''

Henry Hyde understood that we are influenced and informed by our most deeply held beliefs and that it is not un-American to bring those to the debate. He also suggested that what we also understood was that we should not establish any particular religion or demand the American people bow to any particular religion.

Henry Hyde gave us tremendous guidance, and for those in the debate involved today, I would suggest they might want to look at Henry's book, ``For Every Idle Silence,'' including that speech at Notre Dame which he entitled, with his usual good sense and humor, ``Keeping God in the Closet, Some Thoughts on the Exorcism of Religious Values from Public Life.''

Henry Hyde was a remarkable man. He had a great wit about him. You could argue on the floor with him as strongly as possible, and he would come over across the aisle, punch you in the arm and tell you a joke. He took what he did seriously, but he never took himself too seriously. He was an inspiration to me and many others around the world.

I remember one time I asked Henry, do you ever get tired being involved in the debate on the right-to-life, and he said to me, you know, I do, but as I get older and think of my mortality, I think about the possibility of entering the gates of heaven, and I think of the faces of those children whose lives I've saved, standing there saying to me, Welcome, Henry, welcome.

Ultimately, I think Henry's life can be summed up in the last words that he gave to the students and faculty of the University of Notre Dame in 1984. He said this to those students: ``And so I ask again, do you change the world or does the world change you?

``There was a `Just Man' many centuries ago who tried to save Sodom from destruction. Ignoring his warning, mocking him with silence, the inhabitants shielded themselves with indifference. But still he persisted, and taking pity on him, a child asked, `Why do you go on?' The Just Man replied that in the beginning, he thought he could change man. `Today,' he said, `I know I cannot. If I still shout and scream, it's to prevent them from changing me!''

As Henry said to those students that day: ``I hope you go out and change the world!''

Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde was the just man. Henry Hyde did work. Henry Hyde changed the world. I am thankful for his leadership. I'm thankful for him being a colleague. I'm thankful to be able to call him friend, and I rise in strong support of H. Res. 843.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (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, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the subject matter of this resolution, H. Res. 843.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the service of our former colleague, a Member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Hyde, who served in the House of Representatives from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 2007, and served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, as well as chairman of the International Relations Committee.

Mr. Hyde's life was a good, long life and a complex life as well. Mr. Hyde graduated from high school and earned a scholarship to play basketball at Georgetown University. He participated in the 1942 NCAA basketball tournament. As a college basketball fan, I think that may be the height of his career. But that was only the beginning.

He went on to serve valorously in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946 in the South Pacific, New Guinea, the Guinean Gulf, and continued in the Reserves well into the 1960s.

Mr. Hyde was elected to serve his constituents in Illinois' Sixth Congressional District, I think where he certainly contributed mightily and tremendously to the advancement of the Congress, as well as our country.

I had the great opportunity to serve with Henry Hyde as a member of the International Relations Committee, a somewhat junior member, then a mid bench member. I always enjoyed the banter with the chairman; quick- witted, and incredibly intelligent, steeped in history, understood every bill that was before him, and understood where he stood on those issues.

And although Mr. Hyde and I did not agree on every political issue, I admired his tenacity. I admired his demeanor. I admired the way in which he handled himself, both in committee, on the floor, and as a person.

I also had the opportunity to travel with Mr. Hyde on a trip to a country that is near and dear to both himself and myself, the country of our ancestry, Ireland. I know that he was proud of the work of the advancement of peace and justice in Ireland, in all of Ireland, and worked mightily towards that end.

But Mr. Hyde had numerous accomplishments. And I'll leave that to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to advance today. But I would urge the adoption of this resolution, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield once again to my good friend from the territory of Samoa, Representative Eni Faleomavaega, for as much time as he may consume.

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers on our side and will close, and I will just say that it's been noted to me that it's highly unusual for us to have a House resolution honoring a former Member but maybe appropriate in this particular case because Henry Hyde was an unusual person, and I will just go back again to my experience with him on the committee.

I found him to be very fair, very just, a very abiding chairman, and was concerned as much about the decorum of the committee and how we conducted the business of our committee as well would be done in a fair and just way. That's something that I will certainly remember Henry Hyde for.

I hope as we move forward, not only today or next year, but in Congresses to come, that that rapport between Members of both sides, regardless as to where we find ourselves on issues, can conduct ourselves in a way which would make Chairman Hyde proud.

The last time I saw Chairman Hyde was where I more often saw him sitting, next to the portrait of Lafayette here in the House of Representatives in a wheelchair and remarking to him, as always I did, Mr. Chairman, how are you, even though he was no longer chairman of a standing committee here in the House. For many of us on our side, as well as yours, he was always the Chairman, and we say to Chairman Hyde, God bless and Godspeed.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, a special word of thanks to the majority leader, who worked hard to get this resolution on the floor, and to him I'm deeply grateful.

You know, there's been a lot said about Henry Hyde over the past several weeks, particularly since his passing and in the weeks prior to that when he received the Medal of Freedom from President Bush in a White House ceremony that he was unable to attend due to his illness.

And we've often focused in those comments on his conduct here in the House of Representatives, Mr. Speaker, but I would like to give just a little bit of a glimpse of what he was like back at home, because the same shadow that was cast here in the Capitol was similarly cast in the Sixth District of Illinois, which is the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago. There, he was Henry Hyde who would be routinely introduced at various gatherings, and in partisan gatherings he would oftentimes get a standing ovation from a very grateful group of Republicans. But all across the aisle, both sides of the aisle, people were able to approach him, and they would often think of him, really, as an alderman for that area, or almost a city councilman. And by that I don't mean anything to negate his status, but simply, his accessibility as a Member of Congress, which was something really to behold. You could routinely find him in his district. He would fly back and forth every week into O'Hare Airport, which was right in the middle of his Sixth District of Illinois.

And I think that he was one of those people that, when you think about Congressmen, you think about the very best and the very brightest. And I would submit that when, from 1974 all the way up through his retirement, when people contemplated Henry Hyde, he was contemplated in a way that was a positive reflection on this institution. When people thought of him, they thought, You know what? That's the way a congressman is supposed to be. That's the way a congressman is supposed to handle himself. That's the way a congressman is supposed to interact with people on his own side of the aisle and, even more importantly, with people on the other side of the aisle.

His legacy is one, and his name will inextricably be linked with the pro-life movement. He was a passionate advocate, as we all know, for the unborn.

He did his duty in the impeachment of President Clinton. But those things, while they're formative, and they're very interesting, and they are who he was, sort of the lead gets buried if you stop the Henry Hyde story there, because he was someone who was also very active and a partner in trying to reach out to come up with the funds and the support to take on HIV/AIDS globally.

And he was far ahead of his time. He was one who broke from his ranks and voted in favor of the Family and Medical Leave Act, much to the chagrin, at the time, of many in his party who subsequently have come to see the light of that courage of his convictions.

And so, Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is a time of reflection and it's a time of honoring the legacy of a great man. And I think the words of Paul Johnson, a great British historian, come to mind when he wrote a history of the American people. And the British historian Johnson said, to paraphrase, he said this: All kinds of factors go into how history comes out. Just all kinds of things. But without question, the single most important factor are the people who are in charge at the time.

And I think all of us today rise and acknowledge that Henry J. Hyde and the oath that he took and the way in which he carried himself in office was a great credit, not only to this institution, but a great credit to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join this commemoration of the extraordinary life of Henry Hyde, the late, able chairman of the House International Relations Committee. The United States House of Representatives lost an institutional legend this year, and those of us lucky enough to have served with Henry Hyde lost a treasured friend. Although Henry and I did not always agree on matters of policy, I have a deep and lasting respect for his service to this country.

Mr. Speaker, Henry Hyde was a giant. His integrity, intelligence and patriotism were of towering proportions. Our friendship always transcended partisan political considerations and was reminiscent of an era of congressional collegiality. Henry's passionate commitment to public service and to the American people will serve as a beacon for generations.

Henry Hyde had a wide variety of legislative feathers in his cap, but I wish today to speak about two particularly notable accomplishments. The first rightfully bears his name--the Henry J. Hyde United States- India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. This bipartisan agreement was done with cooperation in both Chambers. It represents the right way of legislating--ample preparation, consideration of all ideas, bipartisan cooperation, cordial relations with the other body, and keen attention to institutional prerogatives.

Also under Henry's leadership, Congress approved groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation to fund the global battle against the scourge of HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003 would not have happened without Henry's strength and persistence, and it stands as a testament to his life and work. Henry memorably--and astutely--compared the scourge of HIV/AIDS to the bubonic plague in its tragic scope. We are now in the midst of renewing the mandate of this vital legislation, and Henry's leading role in it will be very much on his colleagues' minds.

A member of the International Relations Committee since 1982, Henry was a key figure in debates and decisions about war and peace, international arms control, the expansion of NATO, and United Nations reform. He also served with distinction on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, but I will let others speak to his achievements there. And of course, the continued, devoted support by his constituents through 16 terms in Congress speaks volumes about his work on behalf of his district.

Mr. Speaker, Henry chaired the International Relations Committee for 6 years, through some of the most pivotal and riveting challenges of our times. He wielded his gavel with fairness, intellectual honesty and no small amount of wit. Some of us may disagree with some of his policies, but he was a true gentleman of the House, and he will be deeply and sincerely missed.

Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened to learn that Henry J. Hyde passed away on Thursday, November 29, 2007. I know I join my colleagues both past and present in thanking this truly remarkable man for his contribution to this country.

Former Representative Henry Hyde served his country honorably both in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Representative Hyde was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1975, where he later served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and the House International Relations Committee.

During his tenure in Congress, Henry Hyde will most be remembered for leading the impeachment proceedings against former President Bill Clinton and for his staunch opposition to abortion rights, both issues on which he and I strongly differed. Despite my opposition, Henry Hyde always took principled stands on issues and legislation and personified what it means to be called ``The Honorable.''

Henry Hyde had always been considerate to me, generous with his time and extremely helpful to me as a legislator. Not long after I was sworn in as a new Member, he acted as a mentor and we became close friends despite our political and ideological differences. I was pleased to work with Henry on ``The Hyde-Jackson Partnership,'' the effort to bring a third airport to the Chicagoland region. On this specific issue, I owe Congressman Hyde a debt of gratitude for his leadership, public service, experience and wisdom.

I will miss my good friend and trusted mentor and my deepest condolences go out to his family.