Vice President Kamala Harris gave a eulogy for Sheila Jackson Lee Wednesday, describing the late representative from Texas as a "force of nature" who worked to build coalitions and represent women in Congress.
“She always expected in all of us that we would rise to a point of excellence, knowing that life was too short and there's too much to be done,” Harris said during a funeral service in Houston on Wednesday.
Harris and more than 50 members of the House of Representatives attended Jackson Lee's funeral, recalling her work to bring representation and equality to the House and to the country.
Jackson Lee "really believed that we are all created equal," said former President Bill Clinton. “We are the longest lasting democracy in human history because we had enough people like Sheila Jackson Lee.”
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Jackson Lee, a Democrat, represented a Texas district that included much of Houston from 1995 until her death in July, after she'd been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. She also served on Houston's city council from 1990 to 1994. In 2023, she ran to be the city's mayor.
In the House, she was a key figure in the push to protect women from domestic violence and to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Harris recounted her as a friend and as an intimidating presence in the halls of Congress, who fought her way through public service when she needed to.
"To honor her memory, let us continue to fight," Harris said.
