Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas has died, her workplace introduced Friday night. She was 74 years previous.
A explanation for dying was not instantly disclosed. Final month, nonetheless, Jackson Lee revealed that she had been recognized with pancreatic most cancers.
“A fierce champion of the individuals, she was affectionately and easily often called ‘Congresswoman’ by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and repair to their day by day lives for greater than 30 years,” her workplace mentioned in a press release.
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Jackson Lee, who represented the 18th Congressional District, was “a towering determine in our politics,” President Biden mentioned in a press release Saturday.
“At all times fearless, she spoke fact to energy and represented the ability of the individuals of her district in Houston with dignity and charm,” he mentioned.
The president mentioned Jackson Lee’s spirit was unbreakable.
“I had the dignity of working together with her throughout her almost 30 years in Congress,” Mr. Biden mentioned. “Regardless of the difficulty — from delivering racial justice to constructing an financial system for working individuals — she was unrelenting in her management.”
She was born in Queens, New York, graduated from Yale College in 1972 and acquired her regulation diploma from the College of Virginia Legislation College. She was a municipal decide earlier than starting her political profession as a member of the Houston Metropolis Council within the late Nineteen Eighties, then made the soar to Congress in 1995. She misplaced a closely-watched Houston mayoral race final December.
In a press release, the Congressional Black Caucus praised Jackson Lee as a “titan and stalwart” who was a “fierce advocate for social and financial justice, nationwide and homeland safety, vitality independence, and youngsters and dealing households.”
Jackson Lee was the lead sponsor of laws signed into regulation by Mr. Biden in June 2021 to make Juneteenth a federal vacation.
“The potential of getting this nationwide vacation opens an entire world of debate for America, an entire reckoning with racism and the systemic racism that permeates the nation,” she informed CBS Mornings in a June 2020 interview.
“Identified for proudly sporting her braided crown, Congresswoman Jackson Lee fought daily for the least, the misplaced and the left behind, and was a warrior for racial and financial justice,” Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries mentioned in a press release late Friday, noting that Jackson Lee was additionally the primary lady to ever function chair of the Home Judiciary Committee’s crime subcommittee.
In confirming her pancreatic most cancers analysis final month, Jackson Lee mentioned that she was “present process remedy to battle this illness that impacts tens of 1000’s of People yearly.”
Again in 2012, Jackson Lee revealed that she had undergone remedy for breast most cancers and made a full restoration. She then labored in Congress to safe tens of millions of {dollars} in funding for breast most cancers analysis.
“It is a super loss,” Sen. Majority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned in a social media publish Friday of her passing. “Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee fought so onerous all through her life to make our nation a greater place for all. Might her reminiscence be a blessing.”
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott mentioned he and his spouse Cecilia will all the time bear in mind Jackson Lee, calling her a “tireless advocate for the individuals of Houston.”
“Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will reside on,” he mentioned.
She is survived by her husband and two kids.
— Jordan Freiman contributed to this report.
