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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will each travel to Houston this week to pay their respects to former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, according to statements from the White House.
Jackson Lee died at age 74 on July 19 amid a battle with pancreatic cancer. The Houston Democrat was one of the longest serving members of Texas’ congressional delegation, known as a staunch advocate for progressive causes.
Harris called Jackson Lee a “dear friend” in a statement following the Congresswoman’s passing and lauded her work on disaster relief following Hurricane Harvey, and as an advocate for women’s rights. Harris and Jackson Lee were both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a historically Black sorority, and worked together on legislation, including the law that made Juneteenth a national holiday.
“Sheila Jackson Lee was, first and foremost, a leader dedicated to serving the people of her beloved city,” Harris said in a statement. “No task was too small as long as it was the right thing to do.”
Biden and Harris’ trips to Houston are not expected to overlap. Biden will travel to Houston on Monday and is expected to visit Houston City Hall, where Jackson Lee is lying in state.
Harris will be in Houston on Wednesday to deliver remarks at a political event, according to a Sunday evening press release. And she will deliver a eulogy at Jackson Lee's homegoing service on the following day. The Celebration of Life Service on Thursday will take place at Fallbrook Church and will be livestreamed, according to a schedule of events shared by Jackson Lee's family.
The trip will mark Harris’ third visit to Texas in the last month. On July 10, Harris traveled to Dallas where she spoke to about 20,000 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha at their annual convention.
Last week, Harris traveled to Houston and received a briefing on the ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Beryl. The following day, she delivered a keynote address at the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention in Houston.
Biden was scheduled to visit Texas on July 15 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That trip was postponed after an attempted assassination on former U.S. President Donald Trump and has been rescheduled for Monday. The president will travel to Houston after delivering his speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson presidential library.
Biden withdrew from the presidential race on July 21 and quickly endorsed Harris, urging Democrats to rally around the vice president to defeat Trump, the Republican challenger.
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