Henry Hyde: “I urge us to forge a way to rise above the nasty politics that have clouded this body.”

I think our politics has suffered. I hope not a mortal blow, but certainly a serious blow. The name calling, the negativity, the throwing of mud, the institution of the White House, the presidency, and Congress itself. People are looking…

Members of this Committee know the story of how Congressman Henry Hyde changed his mind when the 1982 reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act was in play by virtue of the facts and the testimony that he saw.

Someone once said brevity is the soul of eloquence. I shall attempt to emulate that by saying we are happy to accept this excellent amendment.

I announce my difficulty in opposing my good friends, Mr. Berman and Mrs. Tauscher. They are both very learned in this field. However, this amendment is very similar to Mr. Sherman's amendment and should be defeated for virtually the same…