Religious leaders from Cardinal George of Chicago to James Dobson of Colorado Springs are mourning former Rep. Henry Hyde today. I hadn’t realized Hyde was author of the “Mexico City policy,” which basically prohibits U.S. foreign aid from going to programs that offer abortion.

George says:

“His concern reached from those not yet born to immigrants. For all who believe that human life is a gift that should be protected, Henry Hyde was an inspiration. He stated once in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, ‘God put us in the world to do noble things, to love and to cherish our fellow human beings.'”

Dobson said:

“As the author of legislation that came to be known as the ‘Mexico City Policy,’ Rep. Hyde helped prohibit federal money from being used to support abortion or abortion-related activities in countries around the world. The Democrat majority in both the House and Senate recently voted to rescind the policy – but it is likely to be thwarted, thankfully, by President Bush’s promised veto. How regrettable that Rep. Hyde was not in Congress to continue his struggle on behalf of vulnerable babies.”