[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 121 (Thursday, July 25, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H4934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, the House has lost a giant and a trailblazer 
for justice and a good friend for so many of us, Sheila Jackson Lee, 
whom we honor here today and remember.
  Born in Queens, New York, she was among the first women to graduate 
from Yale, and she dedicated her life to public service. For nearly 30 
years she represented the people of Houston, Texas, in the House of 
Representatives. She was a role model for so many and for young women 
seeking to serve.
  She led the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, VAWA, 
and established with her colleagues Juneteenth as a Federal holiday. 
Not only that, but she authored the George Floyd Justice in Policing 
Act with so many of her colleagues. The list goes on and on and on.
  Sheila was my friend and had a thoughtful approach to foreign policy. 
Many don't know her efforts for years interacting with our colleagues 
in Europe and the European Parliament, always willing to participate 
and share her point of view. She was respected, and she noticed that 
dialogue and diplomacy should be the tools first rather than the last 
resort.

  Her legacy will continue to inspire future generations of leaders.
  We will miss you, Sheila, our friend.
  May you rest in peace.

                          ____________________