In the House: Henry Hyde, 1924-2007

The Patriot Post

Former Illinois Republican Rep. Henry Hyde, long one of the most stalwart champions of the culture of life in the House of Representatives, died Thursday. Rep. Hyde, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month, exerted tremendous efforts to protect the right to life of the most innocent during his 32 years in Congress. The 1976 “Hyde Amendment,” which barred the federal government from paying for abortions and has been approved every year since 1976, has saved some one million unborn babies. Hyde was also central in crafting the “Mexico City policy,” preventing international groups from performing or promoting abortion abroad as a condition of receiving U.S. taxpayer dollars. He served with integrity as House Judiciary Committee Chairman during the 1998 impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, stating at the time, “All a congressman ever gets to take with him when he leaves is the esteem of his colleagues and constituents. And we have risked that for a principle, for our duty as we have seen it.” A fitting epitaph, in his own words.