Senior US Rep Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, founder of Pakistan caucus in US Congress, passes away at 74
World
Pakistan Consulate General Houston also issued a statement on X on the demise of the Congresswoman
WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - Longtime U.S. Rep of Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee, who was the founder and co-chair of the Pakistan Caucus in the US Congress, passed away at the age of 74 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
She helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Lillie Conley, her chief of staff, confirmed that Jackson Lee, who had pancreatic cancer, died in Houston Friday night with her family around her during that saddest moment.
The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district and the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1995. She had previously had breast cancer and announced the pancreatic cancer diagnosis on June 2.
“The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me,” Jackson Lee said in a statement then.
Bishop James Dixon, a longtime friend in Houston who visited Jackson Lee earlier this week, said he will remember her as a fighter.
“She was just a rare, rare jewel of a person who relentlessly gave everything she had to make sure others had what they needed. That was Sheila,” he said.
Jackson Lee had just been elected to the Houston district once represented by Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction, when she was immediately placed on the high-profile House Judiciary Committee in 1995.
In a statement, Jackson Lee’s family said she had been a beloved wife, sister, mother and grandmother known as Bebe.
“She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy,” the statement said. “God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.”
Pakistan Consulate General Houston also issued a statement on X on the demise of the Congresswoman by saying,
"It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Congresswoman [Sheila Jackson Lee]. Pakistani-American community in Houston lost a remarkable friend. As a fierce fighter, she worked tirelessly for the people. We share the grief of the family. RIP," it said.
