[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8] [House] [Page 10253] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING HENRY HYDE The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris) is recognized for 5 minutes. Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary service to the Nation of Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois. Many of us consider our election to Congress as a blessing and an opportunity to improve the lives of our constituents and our fellow Americans, and no one has merited that honor more than this esteemed and distinguished gentleman of irrefutable conviction and compassion. In his more than 30 years as a Member of the House of Representatives and as chairman of the Committee on International Relations, Congressman Hyde has given the most vulnerable citizens a voice and focused our minds on the modern day horrors of child slavery, famine and genocide. It was in his freshman term that colleagues would first become aware of his passionate devotion to the defense of innocent life, all human life, and at that time, tax dollars of all Americans were devoted to funding nearly 300,000 abortions annually. Through the appropriations process, Mr. Hyde introduced an amendment to prohibit this practice and the adoption of the Hyde amendment forever changed the course of our national discussion about life and its protections. I have considered my service on the House International Relations Committee under Chairman Hyde's stewardship as one of the most rewarding and enlightening experiences of my time in Congress. Not content to simply fund projects or engage in academic debates about geopolitics and Real Politic, our committee has played a critical role in shepherding the foreign affairs of the Nation. The chairman's leadership has been indispensable as our Nation entered a new age of warfare and a time of bolder, more vibrant diplomacy. A veteran of the committee, Chairman Hyde has been heard in the halls of Congress and countless administrations in the crucial interest about international arms control, the expansion of NATO, the investigation of the Iran-Contra affair and the long-overdue need for reform of the United Nations. Earlier this year, Chairman Hyde eloquently addressed the challenges facing our Nation and the world, ``We are well advanced into an unformed era in which new and unfamiliar enemies are gathering forces, where a phalanx of aspiring competitors must inevitably constrain and focus our options. In a world where the ratios of strength narrow, the consequences of miscalculation will become progressively more debilitating.'' {time} 2015 The chairman's cogent argument in favor of a robust foreign policy has fueled the committee during the 109th Congress. The committee has led the way in U.N. reform, holding to account the privileged few of the United Nations who turned a blind eye as Saddam Hussein violated international law and basic human rights. He has called attention to the tragic human drama that began long ago and today is simply known as Darfur. And most importantly, Chairman Hyde has worked to ensure the voice of this body is heard on matters of nuclear proliferation, the untenable policies of terrorist regimes, and forged ahead where Americans will stand as the world struggles through this uninformed era. Throughout his career, Henry Hyde has never failed to heed his own counsel nor to lose his way. And the principles of basic rights and wrongs have guided his path forward. His most important contribution, however, has been as a husband, father and grandfather. I am certain it is this job that he has enjoyed most. In closing, I wish to thank Congressman Henry Hyde for his extraordinary leadership, his friendship and his scholarship. We are truly a better people as a consequence of his service and for knowing him personally. ____________________