HR0991 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0991 LRB094 19850 HSS 56973 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Henry John Hyde, who was born in Illinois on April 18, 1924, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1975, representing the 6th District of Illinois; Congressman Hyde grew up in Chicago as an Irish-Catholic Democrat; he began having doubts about the Democrat Party in the late 1940s, and by 1952, he had switched parties and backed Dwight D. Eisenhower for president; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Hyde attended Duke University, graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and obtained his law degree from Loyola University; Congressman Hyde served in the United States Navy before entering the U.S. House of Representatives; he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on November 11, 1942, attended the Navy V-12 Program at Duke University and Notre Dame University, attended Midshipman's School in 1943-44, was a commissioned Ensign, USNR, October, 1944, and served in the South Pacific, New Guinea, and in combat in the Philippines until August 1946; he served in the U.S. Naval Reserves from 1946-68 and retired at the rank of Commander after serving as officer in charge, U.S. Naval Intelligence Reserve Unit, Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Before serving in the U.S. Congress, Henry J. Hyde also served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1966 through 1974; during that time, Representative Hyde was one of its most outspoken and articulate debaters, rising to majority leader; in 1974, longtime GOP Representative Harold Collier retired from the suburban 6th Congressional District; Henry Hyde ran for Collier's vacated seat, winning with 53 percent of the vote; and

WHEREAS, Sworn into the House of Representatives in 1975, Congressman Hyde is regarded as a strong and respected leader by members of both sides of the aisle; during his tenure, he has worked hard to improve the lives of seniors, veterans, children, working families, and small business owners -- the people who make up the 6th Congressional District of Illinois; these also are the people he remembers every time he considers legislative proposals or casts his ballot; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Hyde's mission has always been the same - to bring jobs, better education, and more opportunities to the people who live in suburban Cook and DuPage counties; the results of his dedicated service can be seen in communities throughout the 6th district, including public works projects to provide flood control and clean drinking water, citizenship projects in local school districts, and new housing developments for senior citizens and special needs children; Congressman Hyde also has helped numerous fire departments and police departments obtain grants for new equipment such as bulletproof vests; additionally, Congressman Hyde continues to oppose expansion at O'Hare International Airport, supporting instead the building of a third regional airport in Peotone; and

WHEREAS, As the current chairman of the House International Relations Committee, of which he has been a member since 1982, Congressman Hyde and the Committee's senior Democrat, U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), authored America's worldwide response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in 2003 and landmark foreign assistance legislation creating the Millennium Challenge Corporation and expanding U.S. funding for successful micro-enterprise initiatives; during his long career, Congressman Hyde has also been involved in crucial debates over U.S.-Soviet relations, Central America policy, the War Powers Act, NATO expansion, the investigation of the Iran-Contra affair, and, most recently, sponsorship of a bill that ties payment of U.S. dues for United Nations operations to efforts mandating reform of the institution's management; an original sponsor of the Brady Bill requiring background checks for gun buyers, Congressman Hyde broke with his party in 1994 and supported a ban on the sale of assault weapons; an original sponsor of family leave legislation, Representative Hyde said the law promoted "capitalism with a human face"; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Hyde, as chairman of the House International Relations Committee, has also played a vital role in this nation's war on terrorism; from closed-door briefings at the White House to high-level meetings with foreign diplomats, Congressman Hyde has been involved in crucial debates about how the country must respond to the terrorist attacks perpetrated on our nation September 11, 2001; through his leadership, the International Relations Committee has brought attention to the fact that America does not do a good enough job telling its story abroad; the committee also has spent time exploring the threat of biological and chemical weapons in an effort to ensure our government is doing all it can to protect the public; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that Congressman Henry J. Hyde be honored for his distinguished record of public service for the State of Illinois and all of its citizens; as a true example of a public servant, Congressman Hyde is recognized for fervently fighting for what is right for the taxpayers and citizens of both the great State of Illinois as well as each and every individual within this nation; furthermore, Congressman Hyde's honesty and integrity as a public servant were evident from his first day in the Illinois General Assembly, were strengthened when he was sworn into the United States House of Representatives, and have become the standard to which every public servant of Illinois should strive to achieve; though Congressman Hyde has decided to retire and leave the U.S. House of Representatives after his current term expires in 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives will never be able to replace his knowledge, skill, tenacity, integrity, and the love he had for all persons in this nation, and especially the citizens of Illinois that he loyally and honorably represented; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to U.S. Congressman Henry J. Hyde and his family as an expression of our respect and esteem.