Current:Home > FinanceHarris to eulogize longtime US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas at funeral service-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Harris to eulogize longtime US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas at funeral service
View Date:2024-12-23 15:21:52
HOUSTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a eulogy for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee at a North Houston church on Thursday as days of memorials for the longtime Democratic lawmaker draw to a close.
Harris is poised to be the first Black woman to be a major party’s presidential candidate, and Jackson Lee became one of Congress’ most prominent Black women during nearly three decades representing her Texas district. She helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Jackson Lee was 74 when she died on July 19 after being treated for pancreatic cancer. Harris, a former California senator, said in a statement after her death that she was “one of our nation’s fiercest, smartest, and most strategic leaders in the way she thought about how to make progress happen.”
Services for Jackson Lee began on Monday when hundreds of people paid their respects to Jackson Lee as her body lay in state in a flag-draped coffin inside Houston’s City Hall. President Joe Biden was one of the visitors, placing a bouquet of flowers near her casket and visiting with Jackson Lee’s family.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Jackson Lee was remembered at viewings at two different churches.
The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district and the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1995. She previously had breast cancer and announced the pancreatic cancer diagnosis on June 2.
Before being elected to Congress, Jackson Lee served on Houston’s city council from 1990 to 1994.
After first being elected, Jackson Lee quickly established herself as a fierce advocate for women and minorities and a leader for House Democrats on many social justice issues, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved people. She led the first rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act in nearly a decade, which included protections for Native American, transgender and immigrant women.
Jackson Lee routinely won reelection to Congress with ease. She unsuccessfully ran to be Houston’s mayor last year.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano on X: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
veryGood! (387)
Related
- 'Gladiator 2' review: Yes, we are entertained again by outrageous sequel
- Iran launches satellite that is part of a Western-criticized program as regional tensions spike
- Reese Witherspoon Defends Eating Delicious Snow Following Fan Criticism
- Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus join Donnie Allison in NASCAR Hall of Fame
- Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier
- Kansas couple charged with collecting man’s retirement while keeping his body in their home 6 years
- Trawler crashed on rocks off after crew member fell asleep, boat’s owner says
- You Won’t Believe J.Crew’s Valentine’s Day Jewelry Deals, up to 60% off Select Styles
- She's a trans actress and 'a warrior.' Now, this 'Emilia Pérez' star could make history.
- A probe into a Guyana dormitory fire that killed 20 children finds a series of failures
Ranking
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- Inside Gisele Bündchen's Parenting Journey After Tom Brady Divorce
- Josh Hader agrees to five-year, $95 million deal with Astros, giving Houston an ace closer
- Ex-Florida GOP party chair cleared in sexual assault probe, but could still face voyeurism charges
- A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
- Women and children are main victims of Gaza war, with 16,000 killed, UN says
- Parents of Mississippi football player who died sue Rankin County School District
- Reformed mobster went after ‘one last score’ when he stole Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from ‘Oz’
Recommendation
-
Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team
-
S&P 500 notches first record high in two years in tech-driven run
-
Christian McCaffrey’s 2nd TD rallies the 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Jordan Love and the Packers
-
Protests against Germany’s far right gain new momentum after report on meeting of extremists
-
'The Penguin' spoilers! Colin Farrell spills on that 'dark' finale episode
-
A reported Israeli airstrike on Syria destroys a building used by Iranian paramilitary officials
-
Nuggets hand Celtics their first loss in Boston this season after 20 straight home wins
-
Texas child only survivor of 100 mph head-on collision, police say