In memory of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston.

89(R) HR 247 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 247

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Residents of Houston lost a political icon and

fierce champion of social justice with the passing of U.S.

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on July 19, 2024; and

WHEREAS, The daughter of Ezra Jackson and Ivalita Bennett

Jackson, the former Sheila Jackson was born in New York City on

January 12, 1950, and grew up in Jamaica, Queens; she earned a

bachelor's degree in political science as a member of Yale

University's first coed class and went on to complete her law degree

at the University of Virginia; following her marriage to Elwyn Lee,

a Houston native, she became the proud mother of two children, Jason

and Erica; and

WHEREAS, In 1978, Congresswoman Jackson Lee moved to the

Bayou City with her husband and began working for the Fulbright &

Jaworski law firm; appointed as a municipal judge in 1987, she later

became a highly effective member of the city council, and she

further served as a deputy agriculture commissioner for the State

of Texas; she won her first congressional race in 1994 and was

reelected 14 times, never with less than 70 percent of the vote;

known for her formidable work ethic, she filed scores of bills

addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, and she did not

hesitate to work across the aisle to pass them; after the Violence

Against Women Act expired in 2019, she fought for its reenactment

and authored the legislation that achieved that goal; she was also

the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence

Day Act, which established the first new federal holiday in nearly

four decades; in 2021, she sponsored H.R. 40, a resolution to

establish the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals

for African Americans, and she succeeded in shepherding it through

to a committee vote; her many other major initiatives included the

Sentencing Reform Act, Paycheck Fairness Act, and George Floyd Law

Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act; known for her passionate

speeches on the House floor, she advocated for gay rights long

before mainstream acceptance of the movement and continued to serve

as a powerful voice for progressive causes, including Black Lives

Matter and gun control; she took her message to innumerable media

outlets as well; most recently, she lent her support to a federal

version of the CROWN Act to prevent discrimination based on

hairstyles favored by people of color; and

WHEREAS, Congresswoman Jackson Lee held numerous leadership

roles, including chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime,

Terrorism, and Homeland Security and senior member of the

Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget Committees; she was the

House Democrats' chief deputy whip, chair of the Congressional

Black Caucus Energy Braintrust, co-chair of the Justice Reform Task

Force, and a founder and chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus

and the Congressional Children's Caucus;
Congressional Quarterly

ranked her among the 50 most effective members of Congress; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to her constituents, Congresswoman Jackson

Lee was instrumental in directing billions of federal dollars to

under-resourced communities; she helped her city recover from

numerous natural disasters and other crises, even personally

directing traffic to a COVID-19 testing site at the height of the

pandemic and unloading food and supplies for residents during the

2021 freeze; over the years, she appeared at countless local

meetings and events, and she demonstrated deep compassion to those

suffering loss, attending funerals, extending words of comfort, and

connecting the bereaved with support services; and

WHEREAS, Sheila Jackson Lee was a fearless warrior on behalf

of freedom, democracy, and positive change, and although she will

be greatly missed, her exceptional contributions will continue to

resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sheila Jackson Lee and

extend sincere condolences to the members of her family: to her

husband, Elwyn Lee; to her children, Jason and Erica Lee; to her

grandchildren, Ellison Bennett Carter and Roy Lee Carter III; and

to her other relatives, her many friends, and all who mourn her

passing; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of

Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Sheila

Jackson Lee.

Morales Shaw

Reynolds

Thompson

Allen

Walle

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 247 was unanimously adopted by a

rising vote of the House on May 23, 2025.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House