Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat who advocated for racial justice and minority rights, passed away on Friday, according to her family. She was 74.
Lee, a Black congressman from Texas who has served in Congress for over three decades, revealed last month that she has pancreatic cancer.
“Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of…Representative Sheila Jackson Lee,” her family said in a statement posted on social platform X.
The family described her as “a fierce champion of the people” and a “humanitarian”.
The “titan and stalwart member of Congress” and “a fierce advocate for social and economic justice, national and homeland security, energy independence, and children and working families” received praise from the Congressional Black Caucus.
She is “one of our country’s most effective leaders” and “a fearless fighter for the people,” according to a statement made by former president Bill Clinton.
“Throughout her nearly 30 years in Congress, she was an unwavering champion for women and children, a staunch advocate for sensible gun reform, a relentless defender of the Constitution and the cause of justice,” said Clinton.
She held positions on the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget as well as the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security during her time in office.
Along with spearheading several significant legislative efforts, she wrote the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act and the Violence Against Women Act.
She participated in an anti-Asian hate demonstration in Houston last year, leading a group of Asian kids to the platform to chant, “Stop the Asian hate, stand for the American flag.”