FILE – House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, delivers opening statements during a hearing on oversight of the Drug Enforcement Administration, July 27, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Two days after losing her bid to be Houston’s next mayor, longtime U.S. Rep. Jackson Lee announced Monday, Dec. 11, that she will seek a 16th term in Congress in 2024.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, has died at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer, her family announced on Friday.
Her family did not specify a cause of death, but the news comes just over one month after the Congresswoman revealed that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Jackson Lee, who has represented Texas' 18th Congressional District for nearly three decades, revealed her battle with pancreatic cancer in June.
"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," her family said in a statement.
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“A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children,” the statement said.
The longtime congresswoman served in the House since 1995 and leaves a legacy of pushing for legislation related to civil rights. Jackson Lee was the lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, and she pushed for the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, as well as the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act.
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She sat on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees.
Jackson Lee is survived by her husband, Elwyn Lee, and her two children, Jason Lee, a graduate of Harvard University, and Erica Lee, a graduate of Duke University, who is also a Member of the Harris County School Board in Houston. She is also survived by her two grandchildren, Ellison Bennett Carter, and Roy Lee Carter.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
