Current:Home > MarketsUS Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas to lie in state at Houston city hall -TradeGrid
US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas to lie in state at Houston city hall
View
Date:2025-04-16 10:18:37
HOUSTON (AP) — Several days of events honoring the life of longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas were set to begin Monday with the lawmaker lying in state in Houston’s city hall.
President Joe Biden also was scheduled to come to Houston Monday evening to pay his respects to Jackson Lee, according to the White House.
“No matter the issue — from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people — she was unrelenting in her leadership,” Biden said in a statement after Jackson Lee’s death.
The congresswoman, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, was 74 when she died on July 19 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Her body will lie in state in Houston’s city hall rotunda for 10 hours on Monday.
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.
Mayor John Whitmire, along with members of Jackson Lee’s family and religious leaders, are expected to take part in a prayer service Monday morning on the steps of city hall before the rotunda is opened to the public.
“For decades, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a dedicated fighter for Houstonians. I invite everyone to visit city hall to pay tribute to this true public servant and honor her unwavering commitment to our community,” Whitmire said.
Before being elected to Congress, Jackson Lee served on Houston’s city council from 1990 to 1994.
She is set to be only the second person to be granted the honor of lying in state in Houston’s city hall rotunda. The other was renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey, who died in 2008.
Jackson Lee also is set to be remembered at viewings and services on Tuesday and Wednesday before her funeral Thursday.
Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to attend the funeral service in Houston.
After first being elected, Jackson Lee quickly established herself as 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! (5)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Michigan vs Washington highlights: How Wolverines beat Huskies for national championship
- Microsoft’s OpenAI investment could trigger EU merger review
- Tiger Woods' partnership with Nike is over. Here are 5 iconic ads we'll never forget
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Nikki Reed Shares Rare Glimpse of Her and Ian Somerhalder’s 2 Kids
- Michigan’s ability to contend for repeat national title hinges on decisions by Harbaugh, key players
- Michigan vs Washington highlights: How Wolverines beat Huskies for national championship
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Death toll from western Japan earthquakes rises to 126
Ranking
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Young man killed by shark while diving for scallops off Pacific coast of Mexico
- $1 million Powerball tickets sold in Texas and Kentucky are about to expire
- Duct-taped and beaten to death over potty training. Mom will now spend 42 years in prison.
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 'Night Country' is the best 'True Detective' season since the original
- Millions could lose affordable access to internet service with FCC program set to run out of funds
- Dennis Quaid Has Rare Public Outing With His and Meg Ryan's Look-Alike Son Jack Quaid
Recommendation
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
Wisconsin judge rules that absentee voting van used in 2022 was illegal
Hezbollah launches drone strike on base in northern Israel. Israel’s military says there’s no damage
Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions breaks silence after Wolverines win national title
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
Golden Globes 2024 red carpet highlights: Looks, quotes and more key moments
Italian cake maker in influencer charity scandal says it acted in good faith
Iowa school shooter's parents say they had 'no inkling of horrible violence'