US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee dies

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WASHINGTON – Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat who was one of the longest-serving members of Texas’ congressional delegation and a long advocate for progressive causes, died Friday after battling pancreatic cancer. She was 74.

Jackson Lee began her congressional career as an outsider, defeating four-term incumbent U.S. Representative Craig Washington in the 1994 Democratic primary. She then established herself as a fixture in Congress and in Houston, with connections to the highest circles of the Democratic Party.

Jackson Lee was a progressive figure on Capitol Hill for decades. She was an early opponent of the Iraq War and an advocate for gay rights. In 2021, Jackson Lee was arrested for civil disobedience against a federal voting rights law. At the time of her death, she was a ranking member of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees. She was never afraid to speak on the House floor or in front of the cameras about issues she cared about.

She was also a household name in the 18th Congressional District, which includes Downtown Houston, and was known for frequently appearing at her constituents’ graduations, funerals and baby showers.

She often used her trademark chutzpah to fight for federal funding to flow to Houston. In 2009, she secured $1 billion for the city’s lighting system after cornering then-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood before then-President Barack Obama’s first joint address to Congress. She was a reliable fixture in the center aisle before the State of the Union, one of the few lawmakers to meet the president face-to-face on his way to the podium.

“Sheila is … in my opinion a really fierce advocate,” U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, said in 2017. “If she believes in a cause or a person, she stands up for it.”

But that persistence waned this year as her illness forced her to stay home more and more, missing every vote in June and most of May, according to the House clerk.

Jackson Lee was in office at full speed just a few months ago. The veteran congresswoman made a U-turn last year when she announced her candidacy for mayor of Houston.

“I hope I have been a humble servant to you for 28 years,” she said at City Cathedral Church, where she announced her candidacy. “Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your mayor for the city of Houston.”

The move was rumored for months but ended in a messy debacle after a leaked tape last year showed her berating staff with a series of expletives. Her office has long been known for high staff turnover. Despite the support of outgoing Mayor Sylvester Turner and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Jackson Lee lost the race to former state Sen. John Whitmire, a fellow Democratic candidate.

Jackson Lee then faced her first contested primary in decades, a race against Amanda Edwards, who had worked as an intern in her office years ago. Jackson Lee was able to draw on decades of close relationships within her party and secure the support of the Democratic establishment, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also supported her in the race. She won the primary by over 22 percentage points.

Jackson Lee is a native of Queens, New York. She graduated from Yale University in 1972 as one of that university’s first female graduates and went on to graduate from the University of Virginia Law School in 1975. She moved to Houston after her husband, fellow Yale native and Houston native Elwyn Lee, received a tenure at the University of Houston.

She served on the Houston City Council before running for Congress in 1994. At the time of her death, she and Austin Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett were the longest-serving Texans in Congress.

In Congress, Jackson Lee built close relationships with party leadership and her caucus. She has campaigned for leadership positions for her friends in far-flung districts and in the Capitol. She played a key role in Pallone’s bid to become the strongest Democrat on the influential Energy and Commerce Committee and lobbied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to re-run the seat in 2018 despite a left-wing revolt against her leadership. Jackson Lee also served as one of 10 appointees to House Minority Whip Katherine Clark.

Her close relationships have advantages, too. She was the first female member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Surveillance, and chaired the subcommittee in the 117th Congress from 2020 to 2022. She was also selected to speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and was hailed by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s staff as a uniquely effective surrogate.

Well-known friends and allies paid tribute to her late Friday. “In crises and disasters — but also in triumphs — Sheila’s tireless and unwavering commitment to those she represented was an inspiration and source of strength throughout my career,” said Rodney Ellis, a longtime state senator from Houston who is now a county commissioner in Harris County. “She demonstrated that commitment every day through her deeds, actions and successes.”

Turner, the former mayor, praised her as an advocate for the people of Houston, saying, “Her work on the ground in some of the poorest and most underserved communities; her bringing billions of federal funds back to her district; her presence at the bedside to offer words of comfort to families who have lost a loved one; her appearances in houses of worship and at events that showcased the global diversity of our city; and her extraordinary ability to be everywhere and advocate every day for those who needed an advocate made her truly extraordinary.”

Jackson Lee followed in the footsteps of trailblazers who held the 18th Congressional District seat before her, including Barbara Jordan, the first black woman from a Southern state elected to the United States House of Representatives, and Mickey Leland, a former At-Large Majority Whip.

Jackson Lee has not been immune to criticism, particularly for her relentless quest for attention and high staff turnover. Washingtonian Magazine called her one of the “meanest” members of Congress because of her treatment of her staff.

Jackson Lee expressed regret after an audio recording of verbal abuse from her staff was leaked last year. In a statement at the time, she said: “In my zeal to do everything possible to meet the demands of my constituents, I have fallen short of my own standards in the past and there is no excuse for that.”

But she has also found that her white, male colleagues often escape criticism for the way they treat the employees who have followed her throughout her career.

“I’m a woman of a certain era,” she told the Tribune in 2017. “I think I’m a victim of discrimination, sexism and even racism, frankly, because I’m sure there are a whole bunch of stories that need to be told and I’m not going around trying to find them out… I’m not worried about it. I do the work in this office. I do it quietly and consistently and check the boxes of who gets helped and who needs help.”

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