Gottheimer Statement on the Passing of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Saturday, July 20, 2024, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement:

“I was deeply saddened to learn that my friend and a true trailblazer, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, has passed after her courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. Sheila was a pathbreaker in every sense of the word: a graduate of the first class at Yale University that included women, one of the first Black female at-large members of the Houston City Council, and a principled legislator who crafted historic bills including the Violence Against Women Act and the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. 

Like so many of my colleagues, I was blessed to count Sheila as a friend and mentor. We served together on the Committee on Homeland Security in the 117th Congress and partnered to stop antisemitism in our communities. Congresswoman Jackson Lee will be truly missed in the House, but her impact and her legacy will never be forgotten. She was a voice for justice and a steadfast advocate for the unheard. During her nearly three decades in Congress, she touched the lives of so many in Texas’s 18th District and everyday Americans across the country. 

My prayers are with her husband Dr. Elwyn Lee, her children Jason and Erica, her grandchildren, and her many other family members and friends. May her memory be a blessing.”