Congressman Chris Smith on the Passing of
Congressman and Friend Henry Hyde -- Part Two of Two

“Henry Hyde was one of the rarest, most accomplished and most distinguished Members of Congress ever to serve.  He was a class act.

“Henry was a man of deep and abiding faith, generous to a fault with an incisive mind that worked seamlessly with his incredible sense of humor. He was a friend and colleague who inspired and challenged us to look beyond surface appeal arguments and to take seriously the admonitions of Holy Scripture to care for the downtrodden, the vulnerable and the least of our brethren.

“In the greatest human rights issue of our time—the right to life, Henry Hyde will always be known as a champion and great defender of children and their moms.  Because of the Hyde Amendment countless young children and adults walk on this earth today and have an opportunity to prosper because they were spared destruction when they were most at risk. With malice towards none, Henry Hyde often took to the House floor to politely ask us to show compassion and respect—even love—for the innocent and inconvenient baby about to be annihilated.

“A Congressman for 32 years, a Chairman for 6 years of the Judiciary Committee and for another 6 years Chairman of the International Relations Committee, Henry was a prodigious lawmaker. With uncanny skill, determination and grace, he crafted numerous, historic bi-partisan laws and common sense policies that lifted people out of poverty, helped alleviate disease, strengthened the US Code to protect victims and get the criminals off the streets.  He was magnificent in his defense of democracy and freedom both here and overseas.

“One of his many legislative accomplishments includes his authorship of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) a 5 year $15 billion plan to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. During the debate Chairman Hyde was positively incisive as he compared the HIV/AIDS crisis to the Bubonic plague of the 14th century—the black death—and challenged us to enact a comprehensive program, which we did, to rescue the sick, assist the dying and prevent the contagion from spreading.

“Having served with this brilliant one-of-a-kind lawmaker, I know the world will truly miss Henry Hyde.   Still, we take some comfort in knowing that Henry Hyde’s kind, compassionate and generous wit and ability will live on in the many laws he wrote to protect and enhance the lives of others.”

Part One