Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay issued this statement today on the death of Henry Hyde:
"This may sound either obvious or unfair, but in the House of Representatives, some opinions do matter more than others. There’s a stark hierarchy that exists among these men and women, and the principled leaders – on either side of any given issue – are the ones who not only command the most respect, but earn it. And among that hallowed chamber, it was Henry’s quiet voice that rang louder than all others.
“He was a gentle giant among us. Henry was always at peace with himself, a sense of calm that one can only know through his faith and the principles he champions. Many Republicans these days feel they can earn their credentials by checking a pro-life box or giving a strategically timed defense speech. Not Henry – he acted on his principles, fighting for, and winning, conservative policy battles even as his body was failing him. That made him one of the Conservative movement’s greatest assets.
“In my final floor speech, I spoke of our need for true statesmen who are not defined by the values that they compromise, but upon those that they don’t. Henry was the inspiration for those remarks, and it is up to all of us to make sure his legacy remains in our national conscience.
“Henry Hyde was a leader unlike any I’ve known or see on our national stage today. We have lost one of our finest and I am deeply saddened.”