President Joe Biden Honors Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

HOUSTON — President Joe Biden traveled to Houston on Monday to pay tribute to the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Biden landed in Houston shortly before 7 p.m. He left Ellington Field around 7:10 p.m. to head to City Hall to pay his respects to Jackson Lee.

Biden signed the guestbook at City Hall: “Fearless, proud and bold. God bless a dear friend and a great American. God bless you, Sheila Jackson Lee.”

Several local leaders greeted Biden on the tarmac, and others joined him aboard Air Force One on the flight from Austin, where the president had made an appearance earlier in the day, to Houston.

Jackson Lee lay in state at City Hall from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, July 29.

The public was allowed to pay their respects and sign a book of condolences after a brief prayer ceremony with Jackson Lee’s family, city leaders and religious leaders. A joint honor guard representing the Houston Police Department and Fire Department will be in attendance.

The White House also announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Houston on Wednesday and will also attend Jackson Lee’s celebration of life ceremony on Thursday. This will be Harris’ second visit to the Bayou City this month and her third time in Texas.

After Lee’s death, Harris called her “a tenacious advocate for justice and a tireless fighter for the people of Houston and the American people,” the White House said in a statement to KHOU 11. The vice president said Lee was “a dear friend for many years and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated sorority. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I had the opportunity to work closely with her on many issues and observe her leadership firsthand. She was relentless — one of the fiercest, smartest and most strategic leaders in our country in her thinking about how to get things done. There was never a small or trivial conversation with the congresswoman. She was always fighting for the people of Houston and the American people.”

Harris was in Houston last Wednesday to tour the city’s emergency operations center after Hurricane Beryl. On Thursday, she delivered the keynote address at the 88th National Convention of the American Federation of Teachers, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Harris was also in Dallas to deliver a keynote address at the 71st Boulé of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. sorority in early July.

Lee died Friday, July 19, at the age of 74. Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s office sent details for further commemoration.

On Tuesday, July 30, there will be a wake at God’s Grace Community Church at 9944 West Montgomery Road from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, July 31, there will be a wake from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church at 3826 Wheeler Avenue, followed by a service from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On Thursday, Aug. 1, a celebration of life ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at Fallbrook Church, 12512 Walters Road in Houston. The congresswoman’s office said the service is by invitation only.

Governor Greg Abbott approved Mayor John Whitmire’s request to fly flags at half-staff at City Hall and municipal buildings from Monday, July 29, through Thursday, August 1.

“This is a moment of unity in Houston as we honor his life and legacy. While we were opponents in the recent mayoral race, we have a long history of collaboration spanning more than 30 years,” Whitmire said in a statement. “Despite our different styles, we have always worked toward the same goals, championing the issues that matter most to Houstonians.”

Jackson Lee began her political career as a Houston Municipal Court judge. She later served on the Houston City Council before being elected to represent Texas’s 18th Congressional District in 1994.

“A local, national and international humanitarian, she was recognized around the world for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice and human rights, with a particular focus on women and children,” Jackson Lee’s family said in a statement after her death.

The congresswoman has helped lead several legislative victories over the decades, including the establishment of the federal holiday Juneteenth and the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

“For decades, Congresswoman Jackson Lee has been a dedicated fighter for the people of Houston,” Whitmire said.

He cited her “unwavering commitment” to the community as the reason she will have the rare honor of lying in state at Houston City Hall. Legendary heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey was the only other Houstonian to receive the honor when he died in 2008.