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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 longtime advocate for progressive causes, died on Friday amid her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 74.
Jackson Lee began her congressional career as an underdog, defeating four-term U.S. Rep. Craig Washington in the 1994 Democratic primary, before establishing herself as a fixture in Congress and Houston with ties to the highest reaches of the Democratic Party.
“No matter the issue – from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people – she was unrelenting in her leadership,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released Saturday. “Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and grace.”
Jackson Lee was a progressive advocate on Capitol Hill for decades. She was an early opponent of the Iraq War and advocate for gay rights. In 2021, Jackson Lee was arrested for engaging in civil disobedience over a federal voting rights bill. By the time of her death, she was a senior member of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees. She never shied from speaking on the House floor or before the cameras on causes she cared about.
"She always said what she meant and backed up her words with action, former President Bill Clinton, who endorsed her in elections as recently as last year, said in a statement. “Above all, she knew how to get things done. We just loved her."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that Jackson Lee was a tireless fighter for fairness, equity and justice for all. "In a testament to her relentless determination, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was the author and lead sponsor of legislation that established Juneteenth as the first new federal holiday in 38 years. And as an author of the Violence Against Women Act, she was a champion for the rights of women,” Pelosi said.
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Jackson Lee was also a household name in the 18th Congressional District, which includes Downtown Houston. She was known for her frequent visibility at constituent graduations, funerals, food drives and baby showers. She handed out masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged constituents to get vaccinated.
She often used her trademark chutzpah to fight for federal funds to be sent to Houston. In 2009, she secured $1 billion for the city’s light rail system after cornering then-Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ahead of then-President Barack Obama’s first joint address to Congress. She could reliably be found in the aisle ahead of the State of the Union address, among the few members to directly meet with the president on his way to the dais.
"She was a fierce fighter to make sure that what was sent to Texas benefited all Texans," U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said in an interview. "I will celebrate her life and note that she, she lived every second of her life."
But that persistence waned this year as her illness kept her increasingly at home, missing every vote in June and almost all of May, according to the House Clerk. Green, who used to live two doors down from Jackson Lee in Houston years before they were in Congress, said he spoke with her just off of the House floor the last time she voted.
"I could see then that she was not in the best of health, but she was still determined to make sure that her vote was counted," Green said.
Jackson Lee was operating in full gear only months before. The veteran congresswoman made a pivot last year when she announced a run for Houston mayor.
“I hope I’ve been a humble servant for you for 28 years,” she said at City Cathedral Church, where she announced her bid. “Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your Mayor, for the City of Houston.”
The move was rumored for months but ended up becoming a messy debacle after a leaked tape last year revealed her berating staff with a string of profanities. Her office was long known for a high turnover rate among staff. Despite an endorsement from outgoing-Mayor Sylvester Turner and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Jackson Lee lost the race to former-state Sen. John Whitmire, a fellow Democrat.
Jackson Lee then faced her first competitive primary in decades, a race against Amanda Edwards, who years ago served as an intern in her office. Jackson Lee was able to tap into decades of strong relationships throughout her party, securing the endorsement of the Democratic establishment going all the way up to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. House Democratic leadership and former Presidents Clinton and Obama also endorsed her in the race. She won the primary by over 22 percentage points.
A native of Queens, New York, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale University in 1972, part of one of the first classes of women to graduate from the university, and from the University of Virginia Law School in 1975. She moved to Houston after her husband, fellow Yale alumnus and Houston native Elwyn Lee, got a job with the University of Houston.
She served as a municipal judge and on the Houston City Council before launching her 1994 campaign for Congress. She and Austin Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett were the longest-serving Texans in Congress at the time of her death.
Once in Congress, Jackson Lee built strong ties with her party’s leadership and throughout her caucus. She has campaigned for her friends in far flung districts and in the Capitol for leadership positions. She advocated for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to again take the gavel in 2018 amid a left-wing revolt against her leadership. Jackson Lee also served as one of 10 deputies to House Minority Whip Katherine Clark.
"Congresswoman Jackson Lee was an inimitable force for change and a warrior for justice over the course of her historic, trailblazing career," Jeffries said in a statement.
There are benefits to her strong relationships. She was the first female ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime and Federal Government Surveillance and chaired the subcommittee in the 117th Congress from 2020 to 2022. She was also tapped to speak at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, heralded by the staff of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as a uniquely effective surrogate.
Notable friends and allies issued tributes late Friday. “Through crises and disasters - as well as triumphs - Sheila's ceaseless and unwavering dedication to those she represented served as an inspiration and source of strength to me in my career,” said Rodney Ellis, a longtime state senator from Houston who is now a Harris County commissioner. “She exhibited this dedication every day through her deeds, actions, and accomplishments.”
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 under-resourced communities; the channeling of billions of federal dollars back to her district; her presence at someone's bedside, giving words of comfort to families who lost loved ones; her appearances at places of worship and events showcasing the global diversity of our City; and her uncanny ability to be everywhere, working every day for those who needed a champion, made her truly exceptional."
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, called her a "fierce advocate for the Houston community" with a "larger-than-life personality and devotion to her constituents."
“Sheila and I served together on the Judiciary Committee for seven years," Johnson noted in a statement Saturday. "While we rarely agreed on policy, I always enjoyed our spirited debates about law and policy, and I counted her as a friend."
Jackson Lee stepped into the shoes of the trailblazers who held the 18th Congressional District seat before her – including Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman from a southern state to be elected to the United States House of Representative, and Mickey Leland, a former At-Large Majority Whip.
Jackson Lee was not immune from criticism, particularly over her avid hunger for the spotlight and her high staff turnover. Washingtonian Magazine dubbed her among the “meanest” members of Congress for her treatment of her staff.
Jackson Lee expressed remorse after the audio of her verbally abusing staff leaked last year, saying in a statement at the time that “in my zeal to do everything possible to deliver for my constituents I have in the past fallen short of my own standards and there is no excuse for that.”
But she has also noted that her white, male colleagues often escape the criticisms regarding how they treat staff that have followed her through her career.
"I'm a woman of a certain era," she told the Tribune in 2017. "I think I've been a victim of discrimination, sexism and even racism, frankly, because I am sure there is a whole array of stories to be told, and I don't go around trying to find out about them ... I don't worry about it. I do the work in this office. I do it quietly and consistently, and I check off the boxes of who's being helped and who's in need."
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