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By Natalie Venegas
Weekend Reporter
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An Illinois county board voted on Tuesday to remove the name of the late former Republican Representative Henry Hyde from the county courthouse building over his work on an anti-abortion law.
Newsweek has reached out to the DuPage County Board via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Abortion has been a key issue amid last year's election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022, as many Republican-controlled states have put abortion restrictions into effect, with at least 21 banning or restricting the procedure at every stage of pregnancy.
Read More on Politics
While most Democratic states have laws or executive orders in place to protect access, proponents of abortion rights have expressed concerns about whether the administration will roll back reproductive freedoms now that President Donald Trump has returned to office, although Trump has said he would not sign a nationwide abortion ban.
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What To Know
On Tuesday, the DuPage County Board voted 10-5 along party lines at its meeting to remove Hyde's name from the county courthouse in Wheaton, Illinois.
Hyde, who died at age 83 in 2007, was a Republican with a long career in Illinois politics as he represented the state in Congress for more than 30 years. He also opposed abortion as his name was later used for an anti-abortion law, the Hyde Amendment.
The Hyde Amendment is a law that took effect in 1980 banning the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman giving birth, according to Congress.
Three years after Hyde's death, the DuPage County Board, which at the time had a 15-3 Republican majority, voted to name its courthouse building the Henry J. Hyde Judicial Office Facility.
Tuesday's vote to remove his name comes after the board held a 30-minute public comment period when some said they don't believe Hyde's views on access to abortion reflect modern stances as the issue remains heavily debated. Others have criticized the proposal and argue that it takes away from Hyde's impact on DuPage County.
While Democrats Lynn LaPlante and Lucy Chang Evans abstained, the vote went along party lines with Board Chair Deb Conroy, a Democrat from Elmhurst, pointing toward the need to "support the rights of all people."
"Here in DuPage County, public buildings serve all people, regardless of race, gender, faith or...economic status," Conroy said ahead the vote, per the Chicago Tribune. "This resolution reinforces the notion that the buildings on this campus support the rights of all people to receive the services they need....I believe our actions should reflect our values."
Hyde's son, Anthony, disagreed with the removal, according to WIS-TV in Chicago.
"My father didn't do anything to deserve being canceled and that's what this resolution aims to do," he said. "It's an attempt to erase and rewrite history. As elected officials, you have to be better than that."
The board voted 10-8 against extending the public comment period by another half-hour.
Who Was Henry Hyde?
Born in Chicago in 1924, Hyde served in the Navy during World War II and remained in the Naval Reserve from 1946 to 1968 as an officer in charge of the U.S. Naval Intelligence Reserve Unit in Chicago.
In politics, while Hyde's time in Congress was often shaped by his stance on abortion and his role in President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial, which failed. Despite his conservative stance, Hyde broke ranks at times. He backed the extension of the Voting Rights Act in 1981, pushed for foreign aid initiatives and family leave legislation, and sided with Clinton in supporting a ban on assault weapons. At the same time, he remained a staunch advocate for constitutional amendments mandating a balanced budget and restricting abortion, flag burning and same-sex marriage.
Hyde led the Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2001. Then he became chairman of the International Relations Committee, where he led successful efforts to commit the United States to invest $5 billion over five years to combat HIV/AIDs around the world.
What People Are Saying
Former White House official David Axelrod, on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday: "A county board in IL voted to strip Rep. Henry Hyde's name from courthouse because of '80 law he wrote limiting fed funds for abortion. I disagreed w/Hyde but he was an honorable man; a WW II vet who devoted his life to service. Regrettable move."
Congressman Henry Hyde's son, Anthony, during Tuesday's meeting: "The chair and others in this room have stated the reason you want to remove his name from the judicial center is because of his position on abortion and, in particular, the Hyde Amendment....Believe me when I say I can empathize with your position. But also understand that my father was more than just a one-note politician. My father was a statesman for this country. He advocated for those in need locally, nationally and globally."
County board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog, a Glen Ellyn Democrat, per the Daily Herald: "I don't believe public buildings intended to be neutral should be named after politicians."
What Happens Next
The courthouse will now be known as the DuPage County Judicial Office Facility.
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