Henry Hyde

Henry John Hyde (April 18, 1924 – November 29, 2007) was a conservative pro-life leader in Congress for 30 years, and chairing the Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2001. He represented the safely Republican 6th District of Illinois.

His most prominent accomplishment was the Hyde Amendment to the appropriations bill, which prohibits the spending of federal taxpayer money on abortions with very narrow exceptions. Each year, the Hyde Amendment must be reenacted as part of the annual appropriations.