Commemorating The Service To The United States Of The Hon. Henry Hyde
COMMEMORATING THE SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES OF THE HON. HENRY HYDE -- (House of Representatives - December 07, 2006)
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Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is a real honor to rise in tribute to a great American statesman, HENRY HYDE.
Madam Speaker, HENRY HYDE is somebody that I knew of by reputation before I arrived here at Congress in 1993. It has been one of the true privileges of my service here to get to know and work with this outstanding man. He is known throughout the world in diplomatic circles as a great ambassador for the United States, as chairman of the International Relations Committee.
I have had the opportunity to see him in action with Presidents and Prime Ministers, to see the kind of respect that he commands from world leaders because of his leadership of that committee and because of his great concern for the promotion of American interests around the world.
Those interests are very pure, interests of promoting democracy and opportunity, freedom and peace, for people in every corner of the globe. I have not had the privilege of serving on the International Relations Committee, but I have had the opportunity to serve for 14 years on the Judiciary Committee with HENRY HYDE. Not only is he a great statesman on the international stage, but he is clearly also a great statesman in promoting and protecting the Constitution of the United States, the people's Constitution, as he views it, and as he has protected it for many, many years in his service here in the Congress.
I have, as one of my prize possessions, a gavel that he used during the impeachment proceedings with regard to former President Clinton. The impeachment proceedings are not a happy or pleasant circumstance, and I don't prize the gavel because of the circumstances, but I prize it because it was used by HENRY HYDE with courage, with integrity and with forthrightness and handling, in a very diplomatic and very statesmanlike way, what was clearly the most challenging thing that he dealt with in his entire career.
He did it with great dignity. He did it correctly, he did it with great sacrifice as well, because he faced bitter, unfair, false attacks from many quarters for his facing up to that challenge, and I was proud to serve with him on that committee in that regard.
He is also known as a champion for life in America and around the world, and I think that may perhaps be his greatest legacy of all. Because to HENRY HYDE, life is not just about one issue, abortion or any other issue, it is about human dignity and about preserving and protecting and giving opportunity to each and every one of us. As a young and new Member of Congress, he took me and guided me through many challenges when we became the majority party.
As a member of the Judiciary Committee, a new member of the committee, he gave me opportunities to lead the management of legislation and amendments here on the floor of the House, and I will be forever indebted to HENRY HYDE for making my career in the Congress greater, and this institution a greater institution because of his dedication and service. Thank you.
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