HR398 - In memory of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston.

  89R16669 CW-D     By: Morales Shaw H.R. No. 398       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 and Paycheck Fairness Act; Congresswoman   Jackson Lee was known for her passionate speeches on the House   floor, and she often 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 in 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.