Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a long-serving Democratic congresswoman from Texas, died on the age of 74, her household introduced Friday.
“A fierce champion of the individuals, she was affectionately and easily often known as ‘Congresswoman’ by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and repair to their each day lives for greater than 30 years,” learn a assertion posted by the household on X.
Lee had served because the consultant for Texas’s 18th congressional district since 1995 and was a vocal anti-racism advocate and proponent of ladies’s rights.
“Her legislative victories impacted tens of millions, from establishing the Juneteenth Federal Vacation to reauthorizing the Violence In opposition to Girls Act. Nevertheless, she impacted us most as our beloved spouse, sister, mom, and Bebe (grandmother). She will probably be dearly missed, however her legacy will proceed to encourage all who imagine in freedom, justice, and democracy.”
In a assertion final month, Lee introduced in a submit on social media that she had been combating a pancreatic most cancers analysis.
“Please hold me and my household in your prayers as you could have all the time executed. Know that you’ll stay in mine,” she wrote within the announcement. “As all the time, God bless you and God bless the USA of America.”
“I’ve by no means recognized a harder-working political chief than Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who studied each invoice and each modification with exactitude after which instructed Texas and America precisely the place she stood,” Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin stated in a memorial submit for the congresswoman.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer described Lee’s passing as a “super loss,” writing in a submit on X that she “fought so onerous all through her life to make our nation a greater place for all.”
“Could her reminiscence be a blessing,” Schumer added.
Representatives for Lee’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider.
