Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has passed away after cancer battle
Houston, Texas - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has died at 74 after a battle with cancer.
"Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas," read a statement on the Houston politician's social media.
"She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy," the statement added.
Jackson Lee – a breast cancer survivor – shared in June that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but said she would not step down from her seat.
First elected to Congress in 1995, Jackson Lee represented her Houston district in Washington for over three decades. She is known for leading efforts to rewrite the Violence Against Women Act, championing legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, and picking up the mantle as lead sponsor of HR 40, the bill to create federal reparations commission for Black Americans.
Before her career in Congress, the Queens native served as a Houston judge and city councilor after graduating from Yale and earning her law degree from the University of Virginia.
Tributes pour in for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
Tributes poured in from fellow members of Congress after the shock news of Jackson Lee's passing.
"I’m deeply saddened and utterly heartbroken to hear that my dear friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, has passed away after her second courageous battle against cancer," Representative Barbara Lee of California wrote on X.
"I was fortunate enough to work alongside her my entire career in Congress, and was even more fortunate to speak to her as recently as this week before she left us. I will miss her joyful dancing and love for music, but will miss her trust and counsel most," Lee continued. "To know Sheila was to love Sheila. Her presence in our caucus will be sorely missed. Congress, our country, and the world was a better place with her in it."
Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York said, "I’m devastated by the loss of my friend and colleague Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. She was a brilliant legislator, trailblazer for civil rights, and champion for reparations. I’m sending peace and strength to her family, loved ones, and constituents in this difficult time."
Jackson Lee is survived by her husband, two children, and two grandchildren. Funeral arrangements for the congresswoman are pending.
Cover photo: Jemal Countess / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP