By: Shelley McKinley U.S Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, representing the Texas 18th congressional district, was a fixture on the local, national, and world stages, championing progressive policies as well as engaging with the international community. She is more recently known for authoring and serving as the lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established the first new federal holiday in 38 years which was signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. In May 2024, she reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill that would create federal police reform by limiting the use of force and restrict the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, and carotid holds. It would also lower the criminal intent standard to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution and limit qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer. Jackson-Lee’s political career began in Houston, TX as a municipal judge from 1987 to 1990. She then went on to win an At-Large Houston City Council seat where she served from 1990 – 1994. In 1994, then Houston City Councilwoman Sheila Jackson Lee won her Congressional District seat and held that position through July 2024. For nearly 30 years Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee offered meaningful legislation and personable interactions with her constituents and governmental leaders alike. In a statement from her family, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee is described as someone with a near-ubiquitous presence who took on courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, human rights, and special emphasis on women and children. Jack-son Lee served on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget Committees. At the time of her death, Sheila Jackson-Lee was a chief deputy whip for House Democrats and a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She formerly served as whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. In President Biden’s statement he wrote, “Sheila Jackson Lee was a great American. I had the honor of working with her during her nearly 30 years in Congress. No matter the issue – from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working […]
The post CONGRESSIONAL POWERHOUSE appeared first on African American News and Issues.
