By Stacy M. Brown
Contributing Writer
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, one of the longest-serving members of the Texas delegation, died July 19 at the age of 74. In June, Jackson Lee announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, yet she showed little indication of letting it interfere with her plans to run for a 16th term in November.
The fiery congresswoman disclosed her diagnosis in a written statement shortly after winning renomination in a fiercely contested Democratic primary. Known for her commitment to social justice, she was an advocate for reparations for African Americans and a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump. Unlike some of her colleagues, she did not join the calls for President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 race.
Jackson Lee was a senior member of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees. She was the first female ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, serving as chair during the 117th Congress.
“The National Newspaper Publishers Association extends to the family of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee our profound condolences,” said Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. “May the legacy and memory of Sheila Jackson Lee be enshrined in the pantheon of global freedom fighters.”
Among her notable legislative efforts were the Sentencing Reform Act, the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, the RAISE Act, the Fair Chance for Youth Act, the Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act, Kalief’s Law, and the American RISING Act. She also introduced the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act and the Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act.
A staunch supporter of women and children, Jackson Lee championed the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. She authored the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act.
A Yale University graduate, Jackson Lee earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and later received a law degree from the University of Virginia. She is survived by her husband, Elwyn Lee, an administrator at the University of Houston; her two children, Jason Lee, a Harvard University graduate, and Erica Lee, a Duke University graduate and member of the Harris County School Board; and her two grandchildren, twins Ellison Bennett Carter and Roy Lee Carter III.
Stacy M. Brown is a senior correspondent for the National Newspaper Publishers Association Newswire.
