Depending who you ask, Henry Hyde was either a staunch conservative who trampled on the health care rights of the nation’s most vulnerable women — or a respected statesman who reached across the aisle on issues such as gun control and providing help for low-income children.
But no matter what their opinions, DuPage County residents will now have one less reminder of the late Republican congressman, who represented parts of the western and northwestern suburbs for more than three decades.
Reflecting the county’s shift from red to blue, the DuPage County Board voted Tuesday to remove Hyde’s name from the county courthouse.
The chief reason was Hyde’s chief sponsorship in 1976 of what became known as the Hyde Amendment, which ended federal Medicaid funding of abortion except in cases of rape, incest and the health of the woman giving birth.
“The Hyde Amendment restricted health care rights of women who could not afford private insurance or pay for health care themselves,” Board Chair Deborah Conroy said ahead of Tuesday’s vote. “Today’s resolution is in direct response to women who were marginalized or reminded of that when they walked into the courthouse.”
County board members voted 10-5 along party lines to rename the building in Wheaton from the Henry J. Hyde Judicial Office Facility to the DuPage County Judicial Office Facility.
But Republican board members, some public speakers and Hyde’s son said the longtime congressman was best remembered as a respected leader who championed impactful policies and worked with legislators from both parties.
Underscoring those views, Democrat David Axelrod, who was a top advisor to former President Barack Obama, took to social media to call the board’s decision a “regrettable move” and Hyde “an honorable man; a WW II vet who devoted his life to service.”
‘More than just a one-note politician’
Hyde served in Congress from 1975 to 2007. In addition to his opposition to abortion, he also made headlines chairing the U.S. House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment proceedings of President Bill Clinton.
But Hyde was also a vocal proponent of the Family Medical Leave Act and other family and childcare services, and he supported gun control measures such as the 1994 federal assault weapons ban.
A World War II veteran, Hyde was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.
“My father was more than just a one-note politician,” his son Anthony Hyde told board members on Tuesday.
“My father was a statesman for this country. He advocated for those in need, both locally, nationally and globally. And, frankly, this resolution tells me that you really don’t understand who my father was and what he did to not only make DuPage County a better place to call home, but also our nation and our world.”
Hyde died in 2007 at age 83. The DuPage County Board voted in 2010 to rename the courthouse after Hyde in a resolution that also included the permission to build a statue in honor of him, which was never erected. Tuesday’s resolution also rescinds that permission.
‘It’s the right thing to do’
Tuesday’s vote reflects a major shift from conservative to more liberal politics in DuPage County in recent years. The GOP long had a stronghold on the county until the last 10 to 15 years.
The DuPage County Board had a 15-3 Republican majority in 2010 when it voted unanimously, with one member absent, to name the courthouse after Hyde “in recognition of a career unmatched in its dedication to public service.”
The board make up has since flipped to a 12-6 Democratic majority. On Tuesday, Democrats Lynn LaPlante and Lucy Chang abstained from the vote, and Republican Brian Krajewski was absent.
Democratic Party Chair of DuPage County Reid McCollum said in a statement Tuesday, “The name Henry Hyde is synonymous with the Hyde Amendment, which restricts access to abortion care, especially for the most vulnerable women. Removing his name from a courthouse will not restore the rights or assuage the fear of millions of women, but it’s the right thing to do.”
Sarah Garza Resnick, CEO of Personal PAC, a pro-choice political action committee, said the organization was “encouraged” by the resolution and that it will continue to push to repeal the Hyde Amendment.
‘A nuanced approach to governing’
But Chris Kachiroubas, who knew Hyde for more than 30 years and spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, said, “Congressman Henry Hyde was so much more than the Hyde Amendment,” as he rattled off a series of acts that the congressman sponsored or strongly supported, including ones aimed at combatting HIV and AIDS, and another intended to improve nutrition health programs and end worldwide hunger.
Hyde also pushed for various infrastructure projects, like one that addressed a persistent flooding issue in DuPage County and the creation of Interstate 355.
Anthony Hyde noted that while his father was a strong voice for the anti-abortion movement, “he also understood the need for government to provide help after a child was born,” and called for tax breaks for low-income families.
“He was a pragmatic person,” Anthony Hyde said. “His overall legislative record demonstrated a nuanced approach to governing. Not only was he a supporter for Head Start [a free program to help low-income children prepare for school], but he was also a strong advocate for adoption programs and for a means to strengthen families.”
Some county board members said they voted to remove Hyde’s name from the courthouse because it shouldn’t bear anyone’s name and the building should represent neutrality.
“It is possible to be known and revered as a dedicated public servant and also not have your name on the courthouse,” board member Yeena Yoo said. “We all know that judges are meant to be fair and impartial, our judicial system is meant to be fair and impartial, that’s why lady justice is depicted with scales and a blindfold.”
