Kamala Harris delivers eulogy for 'unrelenting' Sheila Jackson Lee [View all]
Source: Roll Call
Posted August 1, 2024 at 4:43pm
When Kamala Harris was in the Senate, there were times she had to fight an urge to hide when she’d see Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee approaching in the halls of the Capitol. The late Texas Democrat was “unrelenting,” and a fierce advocate for her constituents, the vice president recalled at a celebration of life for Jackson Lee, who died July 19 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“I knew, whatever else might be on my mind, Sheila Jackson Lee would require a very serious and specific conversation with you about what she had on her mind. And then she would tell you exactly what she needed you to do to help her get it done,” Harris said to the crowd of family, friends, former colleagues and elected officials who gathered at Fallbrook Church in Houston to pay homage to the hard-driving Texan. “She never lost an opportunity to fight for the people she served. And her fight was born out of love. She had a big, big heart,” said Harris.
Jackson Lee represented Houston in Congress for nearly three decades and established herself as one of the most prominent Black women in Congress, where she fought for civil and women’s rights. She helped lead a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which became law in 2022, and led the push to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Thursday’s service capped several days of remembrance for Jackson Lee and featured a star-studded lineup of Democratic congressional leaders, state and local officials and a former president, all of whom shared stories of a passionate public servant.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2024/08/01/kamala-harris-delivers-eulogy-for-unrelenting-sheila-jackson-lee/
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