[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 118 (Monday, July 22, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4722-H4727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      REMEMBERING THE HONORABLE REPRESENTATIVE SHEILA JACKSON LEE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick) is recognized until 10 p.m. as the designee of the minority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this 
Special Order hour.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor the 
CBC Special Order hour. For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC 
have an opportunity to honor Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, an 
individual of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, 
Congress, the constituents we represent, and all Americans.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).
  Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congresswoman 
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Congressman Jonathan Jackson, for co-
chairing our Special Order hour for the Congressional Black Caucus.
  I rise tonight with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus 
with a heavy heart to pay my personal respects and to remember a woman 
who meant so much to this body.
  The loss that we all feel for our dear friend and colleague, 
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, is truly immeasurable. On behalf of 
the Congressional Black Caucus, I offer our sincerest condolences to 
Congresswoman Jackson Lee's husband, Elwyn; her children, Jason and 
Erica; the entire Lee family; and, of course, her staff in Houston as 
well as here in Washington, D.C.
  For nearly 30 years, Congresswoman Jackson Lee served in this body 
with honor, integrity, loyalty, and her signature style. As chairman of 
the Congressional Black Caucus, it was a tremendous honor to be able to 
work with Congresswoman Jackson Lee each and every day.
  A woman of deep conviction, she was disciplined and principled. She 
was fearless in the face of challenge and adversity, and she always put 
her family, her community, and her country first.

[[Page H4723]]

  Her impact on Houston, the Congress, and the country will not soon be 
forgotten. From her time serving on the Houston City Council to her 
service here in the House of Representatives, she has advocated for 
social and economic justice and the advancement of the most 
marginalized. She made children, working families, and the safety of 
our Nation the cause of her life.
  From leading the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act legislation 
this Congress to H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop 
Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, to the Violence Against 
Women Act, to the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, 
Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a bold and courageous leader who always 
worked to make her community a better place.
  I join my colleagues in honoring her memory and her legacy by 
continuing the fight for the issues she cared for the most.
  She was a patriot and fighter to the very end, and this House was 
made better for her leadership. Words cannot express how deeply she 
will be missed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, by the 
entire body, and by the constituents who she served.
  May God rest her soul. We love Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. May 
she rest in peace.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, let me first take a moment to 
thank Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick for her leadership and 
to thank the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and the entire 
Congressional Black Caucus for leading this tribute tonight to our 
colleague, our sister, and our friend.
  To Sheila's family, her community, her friends, my deepest 
condolences. You know how much we love Sheila, and we know how much 
they loved her and how much she is missed already. Now, let me say a 
couple of things.
  First of all, I met Sheila before I met Sheila. This was when I was 
in the legislature. I went to the graduation where my niece was 
attending college, Prairie View College right out of Houston, Texas.
  There was a great orator who spoke at that commencement. This was 
probably '95, '96. This orator spoke for probably about 2 to 3 hours in 
the hot sun. It was a great speech, and I will never forget that 
speech. It was over 2 hours, and everyone was listening intently in 
that hot sun.
  Finally, when I actually met Sheila, coming to Congress, I felt that 
I knew her because this speech was so profound.
  She was, first of all, an effective legislator. We know her well as 
being right down here on the floor.
  I think she had an amendment for every single bill that came to the 
floor, and they passed. She worked with Republicans. She worked with 
all of us. She was at the Rules Committee until midnight. She had more 
energy, but she was brilliant with her energy, and she knew how to 
effectuate legislative change and get bills passed.
  Of course, she led the effort for reparations, for the study and 
development of reparations. She picked that bill up, H.R. 40, from our 
beloved John Conyers. She led the effort to reauthorize the Violence 
Against Women Act. She was the lead author of Federal legislation for 
the Juneteenth National Independence Day. We cannot forget that. I have 
to remind people of that, in her absence this year. As we celebrate 
Juneteenth, we cannot forget the name Sheila Jackson Lee.
  My grandfather and my great-grandmother were born in Galveston. I had 
never visited Galveston until Sheila invited me to Galveston to be with 
her the first year the legislation passed. What a reunion that was. To 
be with Sheila Jackson Lee in Galveston, Texas, was the highlight of 
that year for me.
  She also was a constituent advocate. Let me tell you, right after 
Katrina, members of the Congressional Black Caucus were in New Orleans. 
Sheila went back to Houston because she received so many evacuees. She 
called me up and said: Barbara, I don't care wherever you are going, 
you better come here to Houston.
  I said: Yes, ma'am.
  I went to Houston, and I saw how Sheila Jackson Lee in many ways 
ministered to these evacuees. She had me out there, and I was honored 
to be out there with her feeding people, clothing people, finding 
shelter, on the phones being advocates. She truly loved people.

                              {time}  2110

  When people got stuck at the airport in Houston--once my sister did, 
as well as constituents--I would call Sheila. She would have me up all 
night long talking to people on the phone until the problem was 
resolved. She was dogged about constituent services. She loved people.
  She was a caregiver also for her mother. Many don't remember this if 
you weren't here. Her mother lived in New York, and her mother was very 
ill. It was during the time that my mother was very ill. Sheila stayed 
on that phone talking to caregivers. I was on the phone talking to my 
mother's caregiver. We were comparing notes, comparing medicines. She 
would get on a plane and fly up there and come back here. She was a 
daughter who truly loved her mother and took care of her mother until 
the very end. I learned a lot from Sheila going through what I went 
through with my mother as she was making her transition.
  Sheila was a global citizen. For those of you who traveled with her, 
you know she was a queen. Sheila went to school in Nigeria. I have been 
in refugee camps with Sheila. I have been on many codels with Sheila, 
some of which I led. Sheila would call me way past the deadline--you 
all know what I am talking about--24 hours before the codel departed: I 
am going.
  I said: But Sheila, the deadline was 3 weeks ago.
  She said: I am going.
  I said: Yes, ma'am.
  She went. She provided so much insight and input and brilliance on 
all of these codels. Members came back more informed and with more 
clarity about what the issues were we were dealing with.
  The last codel that I led to Africa was, I believe, in 2022 when 
during that period the devastating flood in Pakistan occurred. Sheila 
was chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. She had me on the 
phone, as an appropriator, from Ghana calling back here making sure 
that we were ready to respond to the devastation in Pakistan.
  Sheila said: You have got to go with me to Pakistan.
  I said: Sheila, we are in Africa, and we have got to get back to 
America first. I have got to clear my schedule.
  She said: No, no, no. You have got to go with me to Pakistan.
  I said: Sheila, I can't go, but I will do everything I can to help.
  I could not go, but we landed here at Andrews. Sheila flew to 
Houston, and the next morning she left for Pakistan. She spent, I 
guess, 5 days there helping people through that dire, terrible flood 
that was taking place.
  She would call me every other hour: Where are we? Did you call USAID?
  I would say: Yes, ma'am.
  That is how Sheila was. She was a person who was obsessed with taking 
care of people and changing the world and making life better for 
everyone.
  Our personal friendship was deep and broad. She received the John 
Lewis award recently for the most number of 1 minutes. She called me 
that morning. She says: Barbara, I can't be there, but I want you to 
accept this award for me.
  I said: Sheila, they are not going to let me accept an award for you.
  She said: Just do like I would do and tell them you are going to 
accept it anyway.
  That was Sheila. She would not take no for an answer.
  Also, finally, I was her personal photographer. Many of you may have 
been also. Sheila wanted to make sure she was in every single picture. 
If a real photographer wasn't around, she would pull me. I was looking 
at my pictures. I have more pictures of Sheila than myself because she 
made sure she got those pictures taken. They weren't necessarily for 
her. They were for her constituents, for her family, for her 
grandchildren, for her husband. She wanted people to know and to be 
informed about her work as their public servant.
  Sheila deserves to rest now. She was a force of nature. Her spirit 
will live forever. She was fearless. She was loving. She was powerful.
  I am reminded of one Scripture in Second Timothy. This reminds me of

[[Page H4724]]

Sheila: For God did not give us the spirit of fear but of power and of 
love and of a sound mind.
  May Sheila's soul rest in peace, may she rest in power, and may she 
rest. God bless her.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from New York (Ms. Clarke).
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, let me thank my colleagues, 
Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, 
the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus   Steven Horsford, and 
my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for this opportunity to 
share some thoughts about our dearly beloved colleague, Congresswoman 
Sheila Jackson Lee.
  To Elwyn Lee, Erica and Jason, other members of the Lee family and 
staff, loved ones, friends and constituents, on behalf of myself, the 
Clarke family, and the people of the Ninth District of New York, I 
extend my deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences.
  Madam Speaker, I rise on this day to remember the gentlewoman from 
Texas, my friend, my mentor, my dear colleague, the honorable and 
incomparable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
  Sheila was the granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants and a daughter of 
New York. I was blessed to have known her for many years. I have served 
with her for just short of 18 years. We both served on the Homeland 
Security Committee.
  We bonded over many of our deep connections. My parents are Jamaican 
immigrants. As it turned out, Sheila Jackson Lee's uncle was one of my 
mother's biggest donors when she was a member of the New York City 
Council.
  I had an opportunity as a councilmember to meet the incomparable 
Sheila Jackson Lee at many events and activities and occasions where we 
gathered. To come to Congress, as the only Black woman elected to 
Congress in the year 2007, I ran into someone who I had already become 
acquainted with and who put me under her wings.
  As the author of the Violence Against Women Act, the Juneteenth 
National Independence Day Act, the woman who reintroduced the George 
Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and H.R. 40, the bill to provide a study 
on reparations, our Nation will long remember the scale and scope of 
her legislative acumen and successes. We were blessed because she was a 
justice seeker and relentlessly so.
  There was not a piece of legislation, as one of my colleagues--I 
think it was Barbara--stated where she did not come in with an 
amendment if she found any inequities within that legislation. She was 
able to convince Members on both sides of the aisle of the need to 
include an amendment that would provide that breathing room for the 
oppressed in our communities.
  We are grateful for not only her leadership of the people of Houston, 
Texas, but by extension the people across this Nation who have 
benefited from her work.

                              {time}  2120

  We in the Congressional Black Caucus and countless others across the 
Nation will long feel the gravity of her absence.
  One of the projects that we worked on together is now resident at the 
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and that is the Sojourner Truth 
Legacy Project. Prior to my arrival here in the House of 
Representatives, Congresswoman Lee led a group of women to make sure 
that a bust of Sojourner Truth would be placed in the United States 
Capitol. She worked, and she worked, and she worked, and the year that 
I was elected, as it turns out, not only was the legislation passed to 
have that bust created, but it was actually placed in the new Capitol 
Visitor Center in 2007.
  She was an integral part of establishing the Sojourner Truth Legacy 
Project at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation where we look at 
the work of Black women across this Nation, those who are overlooked 
and who are marginalized and lift them up for the great works that they 
do in our communities and across the Nation in every community.
  We will miss her counsel. She often spoke about the struggle to 
establish that bust which was the presence and the essence of Black 
women's power in this Capitol. We are forever grateful to Sheila for 
her tenacity and her audacity that she was a warrior.
  She was a true Representative and an advocate of and for the people 
who devoted all of her talent, intellect, expertise, and energy to the 
people. Whatever moments of hardship and uncertainty lie ahead, may we 
all draw strength from her memory and her legacy.
  I pray that my sister, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, rest in 
peace and that she rest in power. To her staff members who have been 
loyal to her, who have worked hard because she worked harder to make a 
difference in this body, I extend to you on behalf of the people of the 
Ninth District of New York, the Clarke family, and of course myself my 
deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from the Fourth Congressional District of Georgia (Mr. Johnson).
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick, as well as Congressman Jonathan Jackson, for 
convening us together tonight to host this special tribute to our 
dearly loved and dearly departed colleague, Congresswoman Sheila 
Jackson Lee.
  Today, I rise with a heavy heart to honor and remember my colleague, 
but more importantly, my friend, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
  The Congresswoman led an extraordinary life, and she leaves an 
extraordinary legacy of legislative and humanitarian service to 
mankind. Though short in stature, Sheila Jackson Lee stood tall, and 
she spoke with command and authority.
  Never scared, Sheila was bold and imposing. She never played herself 
cheap, and she certainly was not going to let anybody else do so.
  She was a taskmaster to all who worked for her, and that included 
whether or not you were paid or just volunteering. The good thing about 
it is that when you left her office to go to work for someone else, 
Madam Speaker, they knew, and it was easy for you to get a job because 
they knew that you had been trained by fire, you had been forged by 
fire, and you had been trained by the best.
  Like her constituents I often found myself calling her 
``Congresswoman.'' I had great respect for her. She was a dear friend 
who inspired me and countless others with her unwavering dedication, 
spirit, and work ethic.
  I find solace in the knowledge that her spirit will live on through 
the lives she has touched and changed and the causes that she has 
championed. Her legacy will continue to guide us as we strive to build 
a more just and equitable society.
  I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and 
constituents. Let us honor her memory by continuing her work, lifting 
our voices to pursue justice, and most importantly, embodying the 
values she holds so dear. This is how we can truly honor her legacy.
  Madam Speaker, I thank her for her service.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from the Seventh Congressional District of Maryland (Mr. Mfume).
  Mr. MFUME. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from 
Florida for yielding. I know there are a lot of people who have a lot 
to say about someone whom we cared about and loved, and so I do 
appreciate this opportunity. I thank her and the honorable gentleman 
from the State of Nevada (Mr. Horsford), who is the chair of the 
caucus, for convening this Special Order tonight.
  It is a Special Order for a lawyer and a legislator, a woman who saw 
things that were not and found it in her heart to find a way to make 
those things come into existence. I extend my condolences to her 
husband, Elwyn, to her two adult children, to other members of the 
Jackson Lee family, and to the people of Houston who knew her, embraced 
her, loved her, and kept her.
  I first heard of Sheila Jackson Lee before she ever got here. In 
fact, I was a Member of the House then, and she came in with a big 
class. I think she got here in `95, and she won the election in 1994. I 
think  Jim Clyburn was a part of that class,  Bobby Scott, and Maxine 
Waters, a number of people

[[Page H4725]]

who came in the door bigger than life, and there was Sheila who was 
also bigger than life.
  They taught us along the way things that were sometimes not so 
obvious about fighting for what you believe in. She was a member of the 
Houston City Council before she got here, and they didn't know what to 
do with her because she would not stop fighting for the things that she 
believed in. Madam Speaker, one of which was gun control and gun safety 
long before it became something popular for people to talk about and to 
advocate.
  It was in that Houston City Council that Sheila passed their first-
ever gun safety ordinance, putting the onus on parents to keep guns 
away from children in the house, to keep them locked, or to not have 
them there altogether. Some people thought it was an overreach, but 
nobody knows to this day how many lives may have been saved and how 
many children could have been injured that were not. It was many years 
later that that same council and many of the people of Houston thanked 
her for what she had done.

  Before Sheila got here, Craig Washington was the elected Member of 
that district, and in his first term, Sheila challenged him for the 
congressional seat.
  She said: I need your support.
  I said: Sheila, Craig just supported me to be chair of the Black 
Caucus 2 years ago. I can't turn my back on him.
  She said: Well, don't turn your back, turn your front. Just stay out 
of it.
  I said: Okay, I am going to stay out of it.
  Everybody said she couldn't do it, you can't beat Craig Washington, 
and we all now know how that story concluded.
  When she came here and took the oath of office, I, like so many 
others, gave her a great big hug because I knew not just the 
Congressional Black Caucus but the Congress in general was going to be 
made better because of her indefatigable spirit.
  Sheila is a woman who never rested. You could walk the Halls here at 
midnight and see her hanging out at a Rules Committee meeting trying to 
make sure she can get an amendment or trying to make sure she can find 
a way to make a difference.

                              {time}  2130

  I remember that first year of 1995 when she got here. She went up to 
Charlie Rangel and said: I want to know everything you knew about 
Barbara Jordan.
  Charlie said: Well, you did know Barbara, right?
  She said: Yes. I loved her and admired her, but you know what I don't 
know because you served with her, so tell me all about the way she was 
here and how she made a real difference.
  Then, she came over to me afterward and said: And I want you to stay 
here because I want you to tell me all about Mickey Leland. You served 
with him. You and Mickey were buddies, and you sat with him the night 
before he left to take that flight that he never came back from. I want 
to know what you talked about and what is going to happen now that he 
is gone and I am here. How do I find a way, like with Barbara Jordan, 
to make a real difference in this House?
  Her spirit was irrepressible. She had a personality that was all her 
own.
  The word was that witnesses coming before the Judiciary Committee 
didn't want to come before the Judiciary Committee if they were wrong 
because they knew, as a trained lawyer, she would find a way to pick 
them apart. She did so over and over again. She did it not for herself 
but to have the truth come out and to make sure that the testimony was 
something that people could build on and learn from. She worked so 
hard.
  I am looking at this white bouquet of flowers, and I almost picked it 
up and walked it over to that aisle, on the edge where, every year, 
every President that came down that aisle had to shake the hand, say 
hello to, and pay some homage to Sheila Jackson Lee.
  We loved her. We still love her, and we will always love her. She was 
a worker who made all of us around her work harder, and we are all so 
much better because of the fact that she served here.
  Madam Speaker, our dear friend, Don Payne, Jr., passed away a couple 
of months ago, and many of us went to Newark for the funeral. It was a 
tough loss, just like this is. I had served with his dad, so it was 
especially tough for me because his dad and I were buddies.
  I point now to Congressman Jackson of Illinois, who I said to that 
day: Thank you so much for taking care of Sheila.
  She could barely get up to Newark with us, but she cared so much 
about paying tribute and honor to someone she worked with and cared 
about that she found a way, barely walking, to get on that plane to go 
to that funeral and to come back.
  I commended Congressman Jackson for taking the time to do all that he 
could to make her trip better and to keep her safe from all that could 
have gone on, not so much on the trip but in terms of her health 
because we all knew that she was declining. We didn't know what was 
going on.
  I thank Jonathan for that. My thanks to all the members of the caucus 
who are here, all of whom have stories about Sheila and our love for 
her.
  Madam Speaker, I can say because I feel her spirit will remain in 
this place for a long, longtime to come. Every time somebody says 
Juneteenth, they are going to say Sheila Jackson Lee, or reparations, 
Sheila Jackson Lee.
  She would run behind us: Have you signed on to H.R. 40 yet?
  We would say yes. She would say: Go get me two others.
  Again, I thank my colleague so much for yielding. My thanks to all 
from the caucus who are here, and I thank Congresswoman Lee for 
reminding us of some stories that we had long since forgotten.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
his comments.
  Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield to the Honorable Assistant 
Leader   Joe Neguse.
  Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, first, I thank the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) and the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) for hosting this important Special Order 
hour to honor our friend, our beloved colleague, Judge Jackson Lee.
  It is a blessing to be able to serve in the people's House with 
giants--Madam Speaker, you have had the opportunity tonight to hear 
from several--to be able to serve with Congresswoman Lee and to serve 
with Congressman Mfume, among many others, and to hear their 
perspectives on their time serving with Judge Jackson Lee.
  Mark Twain is credited with saying that history doesn't often repeat 
itself, but it does rhyme.
  As Mr. Mfume was describing the late Judge Jackson Lee and her 
adulation, respect, and admiration for Barbara Jordan, the first Black 
woman to ever be elected to United States Congress from the State of 
Texas, I am reminded of a story.
  At the end of Congresswoman Jordan's life, she had a bone-deep 
devotion to the Constitution, bone-deep devotion and faith in the 
Constitution, which was shown on full display during her service in the 
Congress, in particular during the Watergate proceedings.
  In 1996, when Barbara Jordan passed away, they were searching through 
her belongings, and they found in her purse a copy of the U.S. 
Constitution. I can see, as clear as day right now, our friend, Judge 
Jackson Lee, on the Judiciary Committee, where myself and 
Representative Johnson and others had the privilege to serve with her, 
holding the Constitution out as she was questioning a variety of 
different witnesses who have come through that committee.
  Judge Lee's faith, devotion, and commitment to the Constitution was 
bone deep. To hear Representative Mfume describe his conversations with 
her as she asked him about the great Barbara Jordan, it is beyond 
moving.
  As I try to come up with the right word to describe Judge Lee--I call 
her Judge Lee because I would always call her Judge Lee. She would call 
me attorney general, although I have never been an attorney general, 
but she had decided that would be my moniker.
  I have spent time over the past several days to conjure up the word 
that I would use to describe her. The best word that I have been able 
to come up with is prolific.
  She was a prolific orator. One need only look at the C-SPAN records 
to see

[[Page H4726]]

that she spent more time on the House floor in this Chamber speaking 
directly to the American public than any Member of the U.S. House of 
Representatives. Think about that legacy.
  She was a prolific legislator. We have heard from many of our 
colleagues about the many bills that she was able to get across the 
finish line, signed into law by multiple Presidents. For me, the work 
that I remember most vividly is her work to combat gun violence, which 
was a lifelong passion of hers that she pushed for on the Judiciary 
Committee.
  She was a prolific colleague. I, too, joined my colleagues at the 
funeral for Don Payne, Jr., and I remember well seeing Judge Lee at 
that service and being so moved that someone fighting such a terrible 
disease would somehow muster the physical stamina, courage, and 
strength to venture to New Jersey to say good-bye to her friend.
  About a month ago, 6 weeks ago, I got a call here in Washington, at 
10:50 p.m. on a Wednesday night, from Representative Jackson Lee. She 
was in Houston.
  I thought perhaps that she was calling to check-in. I was eager to 
talk to her about her fight against cancer. She had fought so 
valiantly, as Representative Barbara Lee articulated earlier, in her 
first bout with breast cancer over a decade before. I had shared with 
her that my wife had been battling breast cancer for the last year and 
that we were drawing strength knowing that she was steadying herself 
for this next battle.
  She didn't call me to talk about the disease. She called to harangue 
me about a press conference that was scheduled for the next day, and 
she was eager to solicit my help in securing speakers for an important 
bill that she intended to roll out. Notwithstanding whatever physical 
ailments she might have been fighting at the moment, she was working 
until the end.

                              {time}  2140

  I know I am not the only one who was the recipient or a beneficiary 
of her calls. She was prolific.
  I will close with my final observation. I remember coming into the 
Congress--and Representative Mfume mentioned this. I suspect others 
have as well--one of my first images of Judge Jackson Lee was her 
sitting here, right next to the main entryway to this august Chamber 
during the State of the Union Address.
  Without fail every year, she would be seated right here. A few days 
ago, I came across a commendation, a recounting of Judge Jackson Lee's 
life, and this particular author's view of why Judge Jackson Lee always 
found herself right here.
  Their view, their belief, their theory was that for a Black woman 
representing tens of millions of people from the State of Texas, a 
woman who was in one of the first coed classes at Yale, one of the 
first Black women to matriculate from that institution, it was 
important to her that others see her. It was important that young, 
Black women, like my 6-year-old daughter, could see her, could be 
inspired by her. It was important for them to know that if they worked 
hard enough, they too could find themselves shaking the hand of every 
President for the better part of the last quarter century. Reading 
that, it all made sense.
  Godspeed, Judge Lee. Thank you for your service to our country. Your 
family is in our prayers.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to 
yield to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts, Representative Ayanna 
Pressley.
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-
McCormick and Congressman Jackson for convening this Special Order hour 
for, indeed, a special woman.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of 
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas' 18th District.
  Sheila was a legislator, scholar, orator, truth teller, and justice 
seeker.
  From Houston to Boston, from the Nation's Capitol to throughout the 
African diaspora, Sheila Jackson Lee is a name you should know. If you 
don't, trust me, you have benefited from her work--recognizing 
Juneteenth as a national holiday, reauthorizing the Violence Against 
Women Act, advocating for police accountability, reparations, and so 
much more.
  Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will always be remembered as a force 
to be reckoned with, who loved her constituents dearly, and represented 
them with sincerity.
  I can see her now in my mind's eye: folders full of notes spilling 
over, research, question lines, floor statements, multiple bags, and 
layered clothing. She wore a colorful scarf to beat the chill and show 
her own unique style with her hair always in a regally braided crown.
  With nearly 30 years of service in Congress, she spent every moment 
working toward progress. In our final text exchange before her 
transition to ancestor, she said to me, keep working on our priorities. 
We cannot give up.
  So in her memory, alongside my colleagues in the Congressional Black 
Caucus, her staff, current and former, her constituents and her family, 
we will continue the fight for justice.
  SJL, I already miss your rich and powerful voice, but most of all, I 
will miss how you used it for the people. Rest in peace and power.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to 
yield to the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Troy Carter.
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank very much my esteemed 
colleagues for the opportunity to be here.
  We are here to honor the memory of a dear friend and colleague, 
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a true stateswoman and a fierce 
defender of justice, fairness, and our great democracy. A dedicated 
member of the Congressional Black Caucus, her contributions have been 
nothing short of transformative and incredible.
  I was blessed to visit her numerous times in Houston, Texas, and 
travel with her around the world. She was also instrumental in helping 
so many Louisiana natives during Hurricane Katrina, providing 
exceptional casework services in Houston.
  After Katrina, so many of our people were homeless, lost, in need of 
love and care. Sheila Jackson Lee was there. She called us regularly to 
give us reports. Whenever there was an issue in Houston and it was 
someone from Louisiana, she was Johnny-on-the-spot.
  It wasn't her district. It wasn't her people. They couldn't vote for 
her. It was her true love and passion for people that caused her to 
step up. She was a giant, although small in stature. Her heart was so 
big and her brain was even bigger.
  I have never met anyone as passionate and as smart on every single 
issue she touched. When she stepped up, she spoke with a degree of 
power, familiarity, intellect, energy, and grace. They just don't make 
them like that anymore.
  You heard my colleagues say that she would show up everywhere. Once 
we came back from a codel across the country, and because we had plane 
trouble, we were stuck waiting for another aircraft. There was an issue 
going on in India. We were all exhausted trying to make it home.
  Sheila said, I have to go there. I have a lot of natives of India in 
my community. We were all exhausted and everyone chuckled and said, we 
are all going home.
  Next thing I know, I looked at CNN when I got home and there was 
Sheila Jackson Lee. She was there in the midst of it all by herself, 
not a part of a codel, not a part of a team, not a part of anything 
other than a person with a big heart that knew that she was needed.
  She was the first female ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee 
for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. As a senior member of the 
House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, she 
spearheaded critical policies for institutional change.

                              {time}  2150

  Her reintroduction of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act 
exemplified her unwavering commitment to uplifting the Black community 
and improving our Nation.
  Sheila called me, as our assistant leader just mentioned, and she 
said: I need you to go and run this press conference for me. I can't be 
there, but I need you to go and run the press conference, and I need 
you to address the family and let them know how much

[[Page H4727]]

we love them and how much we care. I can't be there, but I will be on 
the phone.
  She was on the phone. We couldn't see her. I suspect she may have 
been in the hospital, but she spoke with the same degree of love, 
passion, and strength for the family who had been so wronged.
  I was honored when she made that call to me personally in May to 
partner with her on the press conference promoting this critical piece 
of legislation. It is one of my most recent and fond memories of 
working closely with her. It was one of the very last official actions 
of her passion, and there are so many.
  We will forevermore miss the intellect, the passion, the strength, 
and the courage of Sheila Jackson Lee. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee 
will be sorely missed by her immediate family, her Congressional Black 
Caucus family, her Democratic Caucus family, all the citizens of Texas, 
and countless others she touched around the world. Her unwavering 
commitment to her principles and her tireless advocacy for the 
underrepresented has left an indelible mark on our Nation.
  On a personal note, Sheila was not just a colleague but also a 
treasured friend and mentor to me and many others. We devoted a bond of 
service for mankind. Her wisdom, compassion, and strength have guided 
us through many challenges. Her legacy will continue to inspire all of 
us as we strive to be better, do better, and try to continue the 
incredible work that she has done.
  Rest in peace, my dear sister. Rest in peace.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much 
time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has until 10 p.m., so there 
are about 9 minutes remaining.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), my co-anchor.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the Honorable Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick, my co-anchor on this Congressional Black Caucus 
Special Order hour, for yielding.
  I affiliate myself with all the comments that my colleagues have 
shared regarding this remarkable woman, our colleague and dear friend, 
Sheila Jackson Lee.
  Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to lend my voice to the chorus of those 
who have gathered in this Chamber to honor and give mournful recompense 
to the life and legacy of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a woman of 
such grave significance who even in repose remains a towering figure 
among us.
  Sheila Jackson Lee was no shrinking violet, She was no harbinger of 
demure expectations, and she did not cower in the face of adversity, 
nor did she retreat in the midst of a storm.
  Sheila Jackson Lee did not do as some have already done; namely, get 
elected to political office and forget where they come from. Sheila 
Jackson Lee carried the people of Houston with her because her dreams 
were their dreams too. Their adversities were her adversities too. She 
wanted for them no less what she wanted for herself.
  Here is a woman who in her lifetime had to deal with policies who 
told her she had to sit in the back of the bus. She went from having 
people tell her she had to go through the back door to being a Member 
of Congress who passed laws to make America a better place for all 
people.
  She lived long enough to see President Barack Obama ascend to the 
Presidency. She lived long enough to see Supreme Court Justice Ketanji 
Brown elevated to the Supreme Court. She was just a few days away from 
living to see Vice President Harris selected to be the Democratic 
nominee for the Presidency of the United States. What a life. What a 
witness. What a legacy.
  Tonight, I say to you, a mighty oak has fallen. I shared so many 
evenings and days and times with Congresswoman Lee, my heart is filled, 
and I thank God for her having come this way.
  I felt in many ways like the words in the book of ``Animal Farm,'' 
``All animals are equal, but some are more equal. . . . `' I never 
looked at myself as a peer of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. I was 
honored to carry her bags. I was honored to walk beside her. I was 
honored to be in the midst of her company. I thank God for having put 
me in a place where I could be from afar and then in my lifetime be 
able to work up close and hand in hand with her.
  In this place where she will no longer stand is a hole that will 
never be filled in this Chamber because while none of us are 
indispensable, some of us can never be replaced. That is the legacy of 
Sheila Jackson Lee.
  This is the brightness of the one who we remember, who in death has 
become both the singer and the song. Let the word go forth from this 
time and place that Sheila Jackson Lee was a steel magnolia, one of the 
daughters of thunder, a woman of such invention and personal power that 
you could hear the sound of the oceans gathering in her voice. She was, 
she is, and she will always be one of the great gifts of the African-
American community to the future of America.
  Tonight, we remember her. Tonight, we sit upon the ground and tell 
sad stories, and we laugh and joke about the death of a queen here in 
this Chamber. Under the canopy of this temple of democracy, we dare to 
make letters of her once and glorious life.
  From serving as the first female ranking member of the judiciary 
Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, Sheila's 
talents made room for herself.
  She will be missed, she will be mourned, and she will be lamented, 
but now she belongs to the ages. Like Barbara Jordan, Shirley Chisholm, 
John Lewis, and Donald Payne, she will be watching over us.
  Sleep on, my sister. You deserve your rest. You have won the race. 
God will bless you.

  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  The Nation mourns the loss of a tireless advocate for justice and a 
beacon of hope for so many. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was not 
just a Member of Congress. She was a force of nature, a relentless 
champion for civil rights, and a voice for the voiceless.
  For nearly three decades, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's work in 
this Chamber showcased her unwavering commitment to justice and 
equality. Her reintroduction of the George Floyd Justice in Policing 
Act is just one example of her dedication to fight for equal justice.
  This bill, which I was so proud to cosponsor, aimed to hold law 
enforcement accountable, improving training, and rebuilding the trust 
of the communities they serve. It is a testament to her vision for a 
fair and more just America.
  Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee believed deeply in the power of the 
Federal Government to enact meaningful reform. She knew that while no 
single policy could erase decades of systemic racism, it was imperative 
to take bold steps toward structural change. Her legacy will be felt in 
every stride we make toward justice.
  To me, Sheila Jackson Lee was the originator. We always joked around 
when she said: She is the first Sheila, and I am the second Sheila. I 
always said: Sheila, you are the originator.
  Every time she saw me, she asked if I needed anything. I remember 
when I last spoke to her, I said: Sheila, you sound strong today. And 
she said: Sheila, whatever you need, call me. I will be there. If you 
need to know how to do it, I will show you. She made me a promise. She 
said: I will always be there.
  The day she passed, I said: Sheila, we will remember your legacy. She 
was at every Special Order hour, every single one, and the last one I 
looked back, and I said: Sheila, are you ready? And she said she 
couldn't do it. Jonathan held her, and I knew that was the last time.
  Rest in power, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. I yield back the 
balance of my time.

                          ____________________