Congressional Black Caucus Honors Sheila Jackson Lee's Life On The House Floor
The Congressional Black Caucus held a special order hour on the House floor Monday night to celebrate the life of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) who passed away at the age of 74.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative
00:04days to revise and extend their remarks and include any
00:08extraterraneous material on the subject of this special order hour. It is with
00:12great honor that I rise today to thank you. It is with great honor that I
00:18rise today to anchor this CBC special order hour. For the next 60 minutes
00:22members of the CBC have an opportunity to honor Congresswoman Sheila Jackson
00:27Lee, an individual of great importance to Congressional Black Caucus, Congress,
00:32the constituents we represent, and Americans. It is now my privilege to yield to the
00:37Honorable Barbara Lee from California's 13th district.
00:44I'd like to now yield to Chairman Horsford.
01:04I'd like to thank my colleagues Congresswoman Sheila Scherfelis McCormick
01:10and Congressman Jonathan Jackson for co-chairing our special order hour for
01:15the Congressional Black Caucus. And I rise tonight with my colleagues of the
01:21Congressional Black Caucus with a heavy heart to pay my personal respects and to
01:29remember a woman who meant so much to this body. The loss that we all feel for
01:35our dear friend and colleague Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is
01:40truly immeasurable. On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus I'd like to
01:45offer our sincerest condolences to Congresswoman Jackson Lee's husband, Elwin,
01:52her children, Jason and Erica, and the entire Lee family. And of course to her
01:59staff in Houston as well as here in Washington DC. For nearly 30 years
02:08Congresswoman Jackson Lee served in this body with honor, integrity, loyalty, and
02:14her signature style. As chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus it was a
02:20tremendous honor to be able to work with Congresswoman Jackson Lee each and every
02:24day. She is a woman of deep conviction. She was disciplined and
02:32principled. She was a fearless in her face of challenge and adversity and she
02:40always put her family, her community, and her country first. Her impact on Houston,
02:47the Congress, and the country will not soon be forgotten. From her time serving
02:54in the Houston City Council to her service here in the House of
02:58Representatives, she has advocated for social and economic justice and the
03:04advancement of the most marginalized. She made children and working families and
03:10the safety of our nation the cause of her life. From leading the George Floyd
03:16Justice and Policing Act legislation this Congress to HR 40, the Commission to
03:22Study Reparations, to the Violence Against Women Act, to the Juneteenth
03:27National Independence Day Act, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a bold and
03:33courageous leader who always worked to make her community a better place. I
03:38joined my colleagues in honoring her memory and her legacy by continuing the
03:45fight for the issues she cared for the most. She was a patriot and a fighter to
03:52the very end and this house was made better for her leadership. Words cannot
03:59express how deeply she will be missed by members of the Congressional Black
04:04Caucus, by the entire body, and by the constituents that she served. May God
04:12rest her soul. We love you Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. May you rest in peace.
04:18I yield back. Thank you Mr. Chairman. It is now my privilege to yield to
04:22Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
04:26Oops. Let me first take a moment to thank Congresswoman Sheila
04:46Sirfelis-Johnson for your leadership and for our chair of the Congressional
04:53Black Caucus and the entire Congressional Black Caucus tonight for
04:57leading this tribute to our colleague, our sister, and our friend. And to Sheila's
05:06family, her community, her friends, my deepest condolences. You know how much we
05:14love Sheila and we know how much you loved her and how much she is missed
05:18already. Now let me just say a couple of things. First of all, I met Sheila before
05:24I met Sheila. This was when I was in the legislature. I went to the graduation
05:33where my niece was attending college, Prairie View College, right out of
05:39Houston, Texas. There was a great orator who spoke at that commencement. This was
05:46probably 95-96. This orator spoke probably about two to three hours in the
05:56hot sun. It was a great speech and I'll never forget that speech. But it was over
06:06two hours and everyone, everyone was listening intently in that hot sun. And
06:13finally when I met Sheila, actually, you know what I'm talking about, coming to
06:19Congress, I felt that I knew her because this speech was so profound until four
06:27or five years later. Hi sister, hi Barbara. She was, first of all, an effective
06:35legislator. We know her well as being right down here on the floor. I think she
06:41had an amendment for every single bill that came to the floor and they passed.
06:46She worked with Republicans. She worked with all of us. She was at the Rules
06:50Committee until midnight. She had more energy but she was brilliant with
06:57her energy and she knew how to effectuate legislative change and get
07:03bills passed. Of course she led the effort for reparations, for the study and
07:09development of reparations. She picked that bill up, H.R. 40, from our beloved
07:13John Conyers. She led the effort to pass, to reauthorize the Violence Against
07:20Women Act. And yeah, she was the lead author of the Juneteenth national holiday
07:26federal legislation and we cannot forget that. And I have to remind people in her
07:31absence this year that as we celebrate Juneteenth, we cannot forget the name
07:38Sheila Jackson Lee. You know, my grandfather and my great-grandmother,
07:42they were born in Galveston and I had never visited Galveston until Sheila
07:47invited me to Galveston to be with her the first year that the legislation
07:52passed and oh what a reunion that was. And oh, to be with Sheila Jackson Lee in
07:57Galveston, Texas was the highlight of that year for me. She also was a
08:05constituent advocate and let me tell you, right after Katrina, members of the
08:11Congressional Black Caucus were in New Orleans. Sheila went back to Houston
08:16because she received so many evacuees and she called me up and she said,
08:20Barbara, I don't care wherever you going, you better come here to Houston. I said,
08:24yes ma'am. So I went to Houston and I saw how Sheila Jackson Lee in many ways
08:31ministered to these evacuees. She had me out there and I was honored to be there
08:38with her, feeding people, clothing people, finding shelter on the phones, being
08:42advocates. She truly loved people and you know when people got stuck at the
08:48airport in Houston, once my sister did and constituents, I would call Sheila.
08:54She'd have me up all night long talking to people on the phone until the problem
08:59was resolved. She was dogged about constituent services. She loved people.
09:04She was a caregiver also for her mother. Many don't remember this. If you weren't
09:09here, her mother lived in New York and her mother was very ill and was during
09:13the time that my mother was very ill. Sheila stayed on that phone talking to
09:17caregivers. I was on the phone talking to my mother's caregiver. We were comparing
09:21notes. We were comparing medicines. We were doing this, that. She'd get on the
09:24plane, fly up there, come back here. She was a daughter who truly loved her
09:31mother and took care of her mother until the very end and I learned a lot from
09:36Sheila going through what I went through with my mother as she was making her
09:41transition. Bye. Also, Sheila was a global citizen. For those of you who've
09:49traveled with her, you know she was a queen. Sheila went to school in Nigeria.
09:55Now, I've been in refugee camps with Sheila. I've been on many CODELS with
10:01Sheila, some of which I led and Sheila would call me way past the deadline. You
10:08all know what I'm talking about. Like 24 hours before the CODEL departed, I'm
10:12going. I said, but Sheila, the deadline was three weeks ago. I'm going. Yes, ma'am.
10:18She went, but she provided so much insight and input and brilliance on all
10:23of these CODELS until members came back more informed and with more
10:28clarity about what the issues were we were dealing with. The last CODEL that I
10:33led to Africa, it was, I believe, in 2022 when during that period the devastating
10:42flood in Pakistan occurred. You know, Sheila was chair of the Pakistan caucus.
10:47She had me on the phone as an appropriator from Ghana calling back
10:52here, making sure that we were ready to respond to the devastation in Pakistan.
10:58Sheila said, you've got to go with me to Pakistan. I said, Sheila, we're in Africa
11:03and we got to get back to America first and I've got to clear my schedule. She
11:06said, no, no, no. We've got, you've got to go with me to Pakistan. Sheila, I can't go,
11:11but I'm gonna do everything I can do to help. Well, I could not go, but Sheila, we
11:15landed here in Andrews. Sheila flew to Houston. The next morning she left
11:20for Pakistan and she spent, I guess, five days there helping people through that
11:26dire, terrible flood that was taking place and she would call me every other
11:31hour. Where are we? Did you call USAID? Yes, ma'am. You know, that's how Sheila was.
11:37She was a person who was obsessed with taking care of people and changing the
11:46world and making life better for everyone. Our personal friendship was
11:53deep and broad. She received the John Lewis Award recently for the most amount
12:01of one minutes and she called me that morning. She says, Barbara, I can't be
12:05there, but I want you to accept this award for me. I said, Sheila, they're not
12:09gonna let me accept an award for you. She said, just do like I would do and tell
12:13them you're gonna accept it anyway. But that was Sheila. She would not take no
12:18for an answer. Also, finally, let me just say, she, I was her personal photographer.
12:24Many of you may have been also. Sheila wanted to make sure she was in every
12:28single picture and if a real photographer wasn't around, she pulled me
12:34and I was looking at my pictures. I have more pictures of Sheila than myself
12:38because she made sure she got those pictures taken, but they weren't
12:42necessarily for her. They were for her constituents, for her family, for her
12:45grandchildren, for her husband. She wanted people to know and to be informed about
12:50her work as their public servant. Sheila deserves to rest now. She was a force of
12:59nature. Her spirit will live forever. She was fearless. She was loving. She was
13:08powerful and I'm reminded of one scripture, 2nd Timothy, and this reminds
13:15me of Sheila. For God did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love
13:23and of a sound mind. May Sheila's soul rest in peace. May she rest in power and
13:31may she rest. God bless you.
13:35Representative Lee, it is now my privilege to yield to Representative Yvette Clark.
14:08Let me thank my colleagues, Congresswoman Sheila Cerfulis-McCormick
14:13and Congressman Jonathan Jackson. Let me thank our chairman of the Congressional
14:20Black Caucus, Stephen Horsford, and my colleagues of the Congressional Black
14:26Caucus for this opportunity to share some thoughts about our dearly beloved
14:32colleague, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. To Elwynn Lee, Erica, and Jason, other
14:42members of the Lee family and staff, loved ones, friends, and constituents, on
14:50behalf of myself, the Clark family, the people of the 9th District of New York, I
14:58extend my deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences. Madam Speaker, I
15:06rise on this day to remember the gentle lady from Texas, my friend, my mentor, my
15:14dear colleague, the honorable and incomparable Congresswoman Sheila
15:20Jackson Lee. Sheila was the granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants and a daughter of
15:28New York. I was blessed to know her for many years. I've served with her for just
15:37short of 18 years. We both served on the Homeland Security Committee and we
15:44bonded over many of our deep connections. You see, my parents are
15:51Jamaican immigrants and as it turned out, Sheila Jackson Lee's uncle was one of my
15:57mother's biggest donors when she was a member of the New York City Council. I
16:01had an opportunity as a council member to meet the incomparable Sheila Jackson
16:06Lee on many events and activities and occasions where we gathered and so to
16:16come to Congress as the only black woman elected to Congress in the year 2007, I
16:23ran into someone who I'd already become acquainted with and who put me under her
16:30wings. As the author of the Violence Against Women Act, the Juneteenth
16:39National Independence Day Act, the woman who reintroduced the George Floyd
16:45Justice and Policing Act, H.R. 40, and the bill to provide a study on reparations,
16:56our nation will long remember the scale and scope of her legislative acumen and
17:05successes. We were blessed because she was a justice seeker and relentlessly so.
17:13There was not a piece of legislation as one of my colleagues, I think it was
17:17Barbara, stated where she did not come in with an amendment if she found any
17:22inequities within that legislation and she was able to convince members on both
17:28sides of the aisle of the need to include an amendment that would provide
17:35that breathing room for the oppressed in our communities and so we are grateful
17:42for not only her leadership of the people of Houston, Texas, but by extension
17:47the people across this nation who have benefited from her work. And we in the
17:54Congressional Black Caucus and countless others across the nation will long feel
18:01the gravity of her absence. One of the projects that we worked on together is
18:07now resident at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and that is the
18:13Sojourner Truth Legacy Project. Prior to me arriving here in the House of
18:19Representatives, Congresswoman Lee led a group of women to make sure that a bust
18:28of Sojourner Truth would be placed in the United States Capitol and she worked
18:35and she worked and she worked and the year that I was elected, as it turns out,
18:40not only was the legislation passed to have that bust created, but it was
18:47actually placed in the new Capitol Visitor Center in 2007. She was an
18:55integral part of establishing the Sojourner Truth Legacy Project at the
19:01Congressional Black Caucus Foundation where we look at the work of black women
19:07across this nation, those who are overlooked, who are marginalized, and lift
19:15them up for the great works that they do in our communities and across the nation
19:21in every community. And so we will miss her counsel. She often spoke about the
19:28struggle to establish that bust, which was the presence and the essence of
19:35black women's power in this Capitol and we're forever grateful to Sheila for her
19:42tenacity and her audacity that she was a warrior. She was a true representative
19:52and an advocate of and for the people who devoted all of her talent, intellect,
19:59expertise, and energy to the people. And whatever moments of hardship and
20:06uncertainty lie ahead, may we all draw strength from her memory and her legacy.
20:14I pray that my sister, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, rests in peace and
20:21that she rests in power and to again her staff members who have been loyal to her
20:29who have worked hard because she worked harder to make a difference in this body,
20:35I extend to you on behalf of the people of the 9th District of New York, the
20:41Clark family, and of course myself, my deepest sympathies and heartfelt
20:49condolences. With that, I yield back.
20:52Thank you. It's my privilege to yield to the
20:55Honorable Representative Hank Johnson from Georgia's 4th District.
21:12I want to thank Congresswoman Sheila Sherfelis McCormick as well as
21:19Congressman Jonathan Jackson for convening us together tonight to host
21:28this special tribute to our dearly beloved and dearly departed colleague,
21:34Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Today, I rise with a heavy heart to honor
21:44and remember my colleague, but more importantly, my friend,
21:50Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The Congresswoman led an extraordinary
21:57life and she leaves an extraordinary legacy of legislative and humanitarian
22:05service to mankind. Though short in stature, Sheila Jackson Lee stood tall
22:14and she spoke with command and authority. Never scared, Sheila was bold and imposing.
22:25She never played her self-cheat and she certainly wasn't going to let anybody
22:30else do so. She was a taskmaster to all who worked for her and that included
22:40whether or not you were paid or just volunteering. And the good thing about it
22:48is that when you left her office to go work for someone else, they knew,
22:55and it was easy for you to get a job because they knew that you had been
22:59trained by fire. You had been forged by fire and trained by the best.
23:07And so you did not have a problem with getting a job and you did a good job
23:11because you had been trained. Like her constituents, I often found myself
23:21calling her Congresswoman. I had great respect for her and she was a dear friend
23:27who inspired me and countless others. With her unwavering dedication,
23:35spirit, and strong work ethic, I find solace in the knowledge that her spirit
23:43will live on through the lives she has touched and changed and the causes that
23:50she has championed. Her legacy will continue to guide us as we strive to build
23:57a more just and equitable society. I extend my deepest condolences to her
24:04family, friends, and constituents. Let us honor her memory by continuing her
24:11work, lifting our voices to pursue justice, and most importantly,
24:17embodying the values she holds so dear. This is how we can honor her legacy.
24:24Thank you for your service. And with that, I yield back.
24:30Thank you. It is now my privilege to yield to Honorable Kweisi Mfume from Maryland's 7th District.
24:40Thank you very much. I want to thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida
24:45for yielding some time. I know there are a lot of people who have a lot to say
24:50about someone who we cared about and loved, and so I do appreciate this time.
24:56I want to thank her and the honorable gentleman from the state of Nevada, Mr.
25:01Horsford, the chair of the caucus, for convening this special order tonight.
25:07And it is a special order for a lawyer, a legislator, a woman who saw things that
25:17were not and found it in her heart to find a way to make those things come
25:23into existence. So I extend my condolences to her husband, Elwin, to her
25:30two adult children, to other members of the Jackson Lee family, and to the people
25:38of Houston who knew her, embraced her, loved her, and kept her. I first heard of
25:46Sheila Jackson Lee before she ever got here. In fact, I was a member of the House
25:51then, and she came in with a big class. I think she got here in 95, and she won the
25:59election in 94. I think Jim Clyburn was a part of that class, Bobby Scott, Maxine
26:08Waters, a number of people who came in the door bigger than life. And there was
26:14Sheila, who was also bigger than life, and who taught us along the way things
26:23that were sometimes not so obvious about fighting for what you believed in. She
26:29was a member of the Houston City Council before she got here, and they didn't know
26:35what to do with her because she would not stop fighting for the things that
26:39she believed in, one of which was gun control and gun safety, long before it
26:46became something popular for people to talk about and to advocate. And it was in
26:51that Houston City Council that Sheila passed their first ever gun safety
26:57ordinance, putting the onus on parents to keep guns away from children in the house
27:03to keep them locked, or to not have them there altogether. And some people thought
27:07it was an overreach, but nobody knows to this day how many lives may have been
27:13saved, how many children could have been injured that were not. And then it was
27:19many years later that that same council and many of the people of Houston thanked
27:23her for what she had done. Now before Sheila got here, Craig Washington was the
27:31elected member of that district. And in his first term, Sheila challenged him for
27:40the congressional seat. She said, I need your support. I said, well, Sheila, Craig
27:47just supported me to be chair of the Black Caucus two years ago. I can't turn
27:52my back on him. She said, well, don't turn your back, turn your front, just stay out
27:56of it. I said, okay, I'm going to stay out of it. And everybody said she couldn't do
28:02it. You can't beat Craig Washington. And we all know how that story concluded. So
28:08when she came here and took the oath of office, I, like so many others, gave her a
28:14great big hug because I knew that not just the Congressional Black Caucus, but
28:20the Congress in general was going to be made better because of her indefatigable
28:26spirit. Sheila was a woman that never rested. I mean, you could walk the halls here at
28:31midnight and see her hanging out at a rules committee meeting, trying to make sure she
28:36could get an amendment in and trying to make sure she could find a way to make a
28:41difference. Now, I remember that first year of 95, when she got here, she went up to
28:47Charlie Rangel and said, I want to know everything you knew about Barbara Jordan.
28:53And Charlie said, well, you did know Barbara, right? She said, yes, I loved her and admired
28:57her. But you know what I don't know, because you served with her. So tell me all about
29:02the way she was here and and how she made a real difference. And then she came over to
29:08me afterwards and said, and I want you to stay here because I want you to tell me all
29:12about Mickey Leland. She said, you served with him. You and Mickey were buddies. And
29:20you sat with him the night before he left to take that flight that he never came back
29:25on. I want to know what you talked about and what's going to happen now that he's gone
29:32and I'm here. And how do I find a way like with Barbara Jordan to make a real difference
29:38in this house? Her spirit was irrepressible. She had a personality that was all her own.
29:47The word was that witnesses coming before the Judiciary Committee didn't want to come
29:52before the Judiciary Committee if they were wrong, because they knew as a trained lawyer,
29:58she would find a way to pick them apart. And she did over and over again. And she did it
30:03not for herself, but to have the truth come out and to make sure that the testimony was
30:10something that people could build on and learn from. She worked so hard. I've I'm looking
30:15at this white bouquet of flowers, and I almost picked it up and walked it over to that aisle
30:24on the edge where every year, every president that came down that aisle had to shake the
30:32hand and say hello to and pay some homage to Sheila Jackson Lee. So we loved her. We
30:39still love her. And we will always love her. She was a worker who made all of us around
30:45her work harder. And we are all so much better because of the fact that she served here.
30:53Now, our dear friend Don Payne, Jr. passed away a couple of months ago. And many of us
31:01went to Newark for the funeral. It was it was a tough loss, just like this is. I had
31:08served with his dad. And so it was especially tough for me because his dad and I were buddies.
31:14But I point now to Congressman Jackson of Illinois, who I said that day, thank you so
31:22much for taking care of Sheila. She could barely get up to Newark with us. But she cared
31:29so much about paying tribute and honor to someone she worked with and cared about that
31:35she found a way, barely walking to get on that plane to go to that funeral and to come
31:41back. And I commended Congressman Jackson for taking the time to do all that he could
31:49to make her trip better and to keep her safe from all that could have gone on. Not so much
31:58on the trip, but in terms of her health, because we all knew that she was declining and we
32:03didn't know what was going on. So thank you, Jonathan, for that. My thanks to all the members
32:09of the caucus who are here, all of which have stories about Sheila and our love for
32:15her. And I can tell you, because I feel it, her spirit will remain in this place for a
32:21long, long time to come. Every time somebody says Juneteenth, they're going to say Sheila
32:28Jackson Lee or reparation Sheila Jackson Lee, because she would run behind us. Have you
32:33signed on to H.R. 40 yet? And we'd say yes. And she'd say, go get me two others. So again,
32:41thank you so much for yielding my thanks to all of you from the caucus who are here. Congresswoman
32:48Lee, thank you for reminding us of some stories that we had long since forgotten. And I yield
32:52back the balance of my time. Thank you. Thank you. It's my privilege to yield to the honorable
32:58Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. First, let me say thank you to the distinguished
33:13gentlewoman from Florida and the gentleman from Illinois for hosting this important special
33:19order hour to honor our friend, our beloved colleague, Judge Jackson Lee. It's a blessing
33:28to be able to serve in the people's house with giants. And, Madam Speaker, you've had
33:35the opportunity tonight to hear from several, to be able to serve with Congresswoman Lee
33:41and to serve with Congressman Mfume, among many others, and to hear their perspectives
33:48on their time serving with Judge Jackson Lee. Mark Twain once said that history doesn't
33:55often repeat itself, but it does rhyme. And as Mr. Mfume was describing the late Judge
34:03Jackson Lee and her adulation and respect and admiration for Barbara Jordan, the first
34:10black woman to ever be elected to the United States Congress from the state of Texas, reminded
34:19of a story, which is that at the end of her life, Congresswoman Jordan, she had a bone
34:27deep devotion to the Constitution, bone deep devotion and faith in the Constitution, which
34:34was shown on full display during her service in the Congress, in particular during the
34:38Watergate proceedings. In 1996, when Barbara Jordan passed away and they were searching
34:45through her belongings, they found in her purse a copy of the U.S. Constitution. And
34:52I can see as clear as day right now, our friend, Judge Jackson Lee, on the Judiciary Committee
35:02where myself and Representative Johnson and others had the privilege to serve with her.
35:06I can see her holding the Constitution out as she's questioning a variety of different
35:13witnesses that have come through that committee. Judge Lee's faith and devotion and commitment
35:19to the Constitution was bone deep. And to hear Representative Mfume describe his conversations
35:29with her as she asked him about the great Barbara Jordan, it's beyond moving. As I try
35:40to come up with the right word to describe Judge Lee, and I call her Judge Lee because
35:47she I would always call her Judge Lee. She would call me Attorney General, although I've
35:51never been an Attorney General, but she had decided that that would be my moniker. As
35:56I try to develop and think and have spent time over the past several days to describe
36:02the word or rather conjure up the word that I would use to describe her, the best word
36:06that I've been able to come up with is prolific. She was a prolific orator. One need only look
36:14at the C-SPAN records to see that she spent more time on the House floor in this chamber
36:22speaking directly to the American public than any member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
36:27Think about that. That legacy. She was a prolific legislator. We've heard from many of my colleagues
36:36about the many bills that she was able to get across the finish line, signed into law
36:41by multiple presidents. For me, the work that I remember most vividly is her work to combat
36:47gun violence, which was a lifelong passion of hers that she pushed for on the Judiciary
36:53Committee. She was a prolific colleague. I too joined my colleagues at the funeral for
37:05Don Payne, Jr., and I remember well seeing Judge Lee at that service and being so moved
37:16that someone fighting such a terrible disease would somehow muster the physical stamina
37:25and courage and strength to venture to New Jersey to say goodbye to her friend. About
37:35a month ago, six weeks ago, I got a call. I was here in Washington at 10.50 p.m. on
37:45a Wednesday night from Representative Jackson Lee. She was in Houston. I thought that she
37:54was calling to check in, perhaps. I was eager to talk to her about her fight against cancer.
38:05She had fought so valiantly, as Representative Lee, Representative Barbara Lee, articulated
38:10earlier in her first bout with breast cancer over a decade before. I had shared with her
38:17that my wife had been battling breast cancer for the last year and that we were drawing
38:22strength knowing that she was steadying herself for this next battle, but she didn't call
38:27me to talk about the disease. She called to harangue me about a press conference that
38:36was scheduled for the next day that she was eager to solicit my help in securing speakers
38:42for an important bill that she intended to roll out, notwithstanding whatever physical
38:50ailments she might have been fighting at the moment. Working until the end, and I know
38:56I'm not the only one who was a recipient or a beneficiary of her calls. Prolific. I'll
39:03close with my final observation. I remember coming into the Congress, and of course Representative
39:15Mufume mentioned this, I suspect others have as well. One of my first images of Judge Jackson
39:21Lee was her sitting here, right next to the main entryway to this august chamber, during
39:31the State of the Union Address. Without fail, every year, she would be seated right here.
39:43A few days ago, I came across a commendation, a recounting of Judge Jackson Lee's life,
39:55and this particular author's view of why Judge Jackson Lee always found herself right here.
40:07Their view, their belief, their theory, was that for a black woman representing tens of
40:15millions of people from the state of Texas, a woman who was in one of the first co-ed
40:22classes at Yale, one of the first black women to matriculate from that institution, it was
40:34important to her that others see her. That young black women, like my six-year-old daughter,
40:47could see her, could be inspired by her, could know that if they worked hard enough, they
40:54too could find themselves shaking the hand of every president for the better part of
41:00the last quarter century. And reading that, it all made sense. Godspeed, Judge Lee. Thank
41:15you for your service to our country, your families, and our prayers. I yield back.
41:24Thank you. It's now my privilege to yield to Representative Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts.
41:42Thank you, Congresswoman Sheila Sheriffess-McCormick, Congressman Jackson, for convening this special
41:48order hour for, indeed, a special woman. I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Congresswoman
41:55Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas' 18th District, legislator, scholar, orator, truth teller,
42:06and justice seeker. From Houston to Boston, from the nation's capital to throughout the
42:12African diaspora, Sheila Jackson Lee is a name you should know. But if you don't, trust
42:20me, you have benefited from her work. Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday, reauthorizing
42:27the Violence Against Women Act, advocating for police accountability, reparations, and
42:33so much more. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will always be remembered as a force to
42:39be reckoned with, who loved her constituents dearly and represented them with sincerity.
42:47I can see her now in my mind's eye, folders full of notes spilling over, research, question
42:53lines, floor statements, multiple bags, and layered clothing. A colorful scarf to beat
43:00the chill and show her own unique style, and always her hair in a regally braided crown.
43:10With nearly 30 years of service in Congress, she spent every moment working towards progress.
43:18In our final text exchange before her transition to Ancestors, she said to me, keep working
43:26on our priorities. We cannot give up. So in her memory alongside my colleagues in the
43:35Congressional Black Caucus, her staff, current and former, her constituents, and her family,
43:42we will continue the fight for justice. S.J.L., I already miss your rich and powerful voice,
43:56but most of all, I'll miss how you used it for the people. Rest in peace and power.
44:11It is now my privilege to yield to the Honorable Troy Carter from Louisiana.
44:25Thank you very much, my esteemed colleagues, for the opportunity to be here. We're here to
44:37honor the memory of a dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a true statesman
44:44and a fierce defender of justice, fairness, and our great democracy. A dedicated member of the
44:52Congressional Black Caucus, her contributions have been nothing short of transformative and
44:57incredible. I was blessed to visit her numerous times in Houston, Texas, and travel with her
45:04around the world. She was also instrumental in helping so many Louisiana Natives during
45:12Hurricane Katrina, providing exceptional casework and services in Houston. After Katrina, so many
45:22of our people were homeless, lost, in need of love and care. Sheila Jackson Lee was there.
45:32She called us regularly to give us reports. Whenever there was an issue in Houston, and it
45:40was someone from Louisiana, she was Johnny on the spot. Wasn't her district, wasn't her people,
45:48they couldn't vote for her. It was her true love and passion for people that caused her to step up.
45:56She was a giant, although small in stature. Her heart was so big and her brain was even bigger.
46:05I've never met anyone as passionate and as smart on every single issue she touched.
46:13When she stepped up, she spoke with a degree of power, familiarity, intellect, energy, and grace.
46:26They just don't make them like that anymore. You've heard my colleagues say that she would
46:34show up everywhere. Once we came back from a CODEL across the country, and while we were
46:43stuck because we had plane trouble, we were stuck waiting for another aircraft, and then there was
46:50an issue going on in India. And we were all exhausted trying to make it home.
46:55Sheila said, I've got to go there. I've got a lot of natives in my community.
47:03And we were all exhausted, and we said, everyone chuckled and said, we're all going home. Next thing
47:09I know, I looked at CNN when I got home, and there was Sheila Jackson Lee. She was there in the midst
47:16of it all by herself, not a part of a CODEL, not a part of any other team, not a part of anything
47:21other than a person with a big heart that knew that she was needed. She was the first female
47:30ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security,
47:35and as a senior member of the House Committee on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget,
47:40she spearheaded critical policies for institutional change. Her reintroduction of the George Floyd
47:48Justice and Policing Act exemplified her unwavering commitment to uplifting
47:55the black community and improving our nation. Sheila called me, as our assistant leader just
48:03mentioned, and she said, I need you to go and run this press conference for me. I can't be there,
48:09but I need you to go and run the press conference, and I need you to address the family and let them
48:14know how much we love them and how much we care, and I can't be there, but I'll be on the phone.
48:24And she was on the phone. We couldn't see her. I suspect she may have been in the hospital,
48:31but she spoke with the same degree of love, passion, and strength for the family who had
48:38been so wronged. I was honored when she made that call to me personally in May to partner with her
48:46on the press conference promoting this critical piece of legislation.
48:51It is one of her most recent and fond memories of working closely with her. It was one of the very
48:56last official actions of her passion, and there's so many. We will forevermore miss the intellect,
49:04the passion, the strength, the courage of Sheila Jackson Lee. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will
49:10be sorely missed by her immediate family, her Congressional Black Caucus family, her Democratic
49:16Caucus family, all the citizens of Texas, and countless others she touched around the world.
49:22Her unwavering commitment to her principles and her tireless advocacy for the unprecedented,
49:29underrepresented rather, has left an indelible mark on our nation. On a personal note, Sheila was just not a colleague,
49:39but also a treasured friend and mentor to me and many others. We devoted a bond of service
49:47for mankind. Her wisdom, compassion, and strength has guided us through many challenges. Her legacy
49:53will continue to inspire all of us as we strive to be better, do better, and try to
50:00continue the incredible work that she's done. Rest in peace, my dear sister. Rest in peace.
50:07Thank you, Representative Carter. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining?
50:16The gentlelady has until 10 p.m., so there's about nine minutes remaining.
50:20Thank you. I'd like to yield now to my co-anchor, Representative Jonathan Jackson from Illinois.
50:26Thank you very much. I'd like to thank the Honorable Sheila Scherflis McCormick, my co-anchor,
50:31and this Congressional Black Caucus special order hour. I'd like to be affiliated with all of the
50:36comments that my colleagues have shared regarding this remarkable woman, our colleague and dear friend,
50:42Sheila Jackson Lee. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to lend my voice to the chorus
50:49of those who have gathered in this chamber to honor and give mournful recompense to the life
50:54and legacy of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a woman of such grave significance who even in
51:00repose remains a towering figure among us. Sheila Jackson Lee was no shrinking violet.
51:07She was no harbinger of demure expectations, and she did not cower in the face of adversity,
51:13nor did she retreat in the midst of a storm. Sheila Jackson Lee did not do as some have already
51:19done, namely get elected to political office and forget where they come from. Sheila Jackson Lee
51:26carried the people of Houston with her because her dreams were their dreams too. Their adversities
51:33were her adversities too, and she wanted for them she no less and likewise wanted for herself.
51:41Here is a woman who in her lifetime had to deal with policies who told her she had to sit
51:47in the back of a bus, and she went from having people tell her she had to go through the back
51:52door to being a member of Congress who passed laws to make America a better place for all people.
51:59She lived long enough to see President Barack Obama ascend to the presidency. She lived long
52:06enough to see a Supreme Court Justice and a Katonji Brown elevated to the Supreme Court,
52:12and she was just a few days away from living to see Vice President Harris selected to be
52:18the Democratic nominee for the presidency of the United States. What a life, what a witness,
52:24what a legacy. Tonight I say to you, a mighty oak has fallen. I shared so many evenings and days
52:32and times with Congresswoman Lee. My heart is filled and I thank God for having come this way.
52:40I felt in many way in the words of the book of Animal Farms, all animals are equal and some are
52:45more equal. I'd never looked at myself as a peer of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. I was honored
52:52to carry her bags. I was honored to walk beside her. I was honored to be in the midst of her
52:58company and I thank God for having put me in a place where I could be from afar and then in my
53:04lifetime be able to work up close and hand in hand with her. And there in this place where she will
53:10no longer stand lives a hole that will never be filled in this chamber because while none of us
53:15are indispensable, some of us can never be replaced. That is the legacy of Sheila Jackson
53:21Lee. This is the brightness of the one who we remember, who in death has become both the singer
53:28and the song. So let the word go forth from this time and place that Sheila Jackson Lee
53:34was a steel magnolia, one of the daughters of thunder, a woman of such invention and personal
53:40power that you could hear the sound of the oceans gathering in her voice. She was, she is,
53:47and she will always be one of the great gifts of the African-American community to the future
53:53of America. And tonight we remember her. Tonight we sit upon the ground and tell sad stories and
53:59we laugh and joke about the death of a queen here in this chamber. And under the canopy of this
54:05temple of democracy, we dare to make letters of her once and glorious life. From serving as the
54:12first female ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
54:17Security, Sheila's talents made room for herself. She will be missed, she will be mourned,
54:25she will be lamented, but now she belongs to the ages. And like Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm,
54:32John Lewis, and Donald Payne, she will be watching over us. Sleep on my sister, you deserve your race,
54:38you have won the race, God will bless you. I yield back my time to the Honorable Sheila
54:44Shirkulous-McCormick. Thank you so much. I yield the rest of the time to myself.
54:52The nation mourns the loss of a tireless advocate for justice and a beacon of hope for so many.
54:58Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was not just a member of Congress, she was a force of nature,
55:04a relentless champion for civil rights, and a voice for the voiceless. For nearly three decades,
55:10Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's work in this chamber showcased her unwavering commitment
55:15to justice and equality. Her reintroduction of the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act is just
55:21one example of her dedication to fight for equal justice. This bill, which I was so proud to
55:27co-sponsor, aimed to hold law enforcement accountable, improving training, and rebuilding
55:32the trust of the communities they serve. It is a testament to her vision for a fairer and more
55:38just America. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee believed deeply in the power of the federal
55:43government to enact meaningful reform. She knew that while no single policy could
55:50erase decades of systemic racism, it was imperative to take bold steps toward structural change.
55:56Her legacy will be felt in every stride we make towards justice. To me, Sheila Jackson Lee was
56:02the originator. We always joked around when she said, she's the first Sheila, I'm the second Sheila,
56:07and I always said, Sheila, you're the originator. Every time she saw me, she was like, do you need
56:11anything? I remember when I last spoke to her, I said, Sheila,
56:16you sound strong today. She said, Sheila, whatever you need, call me, I'll be there. If you need to
56:28know how to do it, I'll show you. She made me a promise. She said, I will always be there.
56:35And the day she passed, I said, Sheila, we will remember your legacy.
56:39She was at every special order hour, every single one. And the last one, I looked back and I said,
56:45Sheila, you ready? And she said she couldn't do it. And Jonathan held her, and I knew that was the last time.
56:58Rest in power, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. I yield back.