Vice President Kamala Harris will fly to Houston Thursday to attend the funeral of longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. dead after battling cancer this month, according to an official who first shared the details with NBC News.
An official in Harris’ office said Harris and Jackson Lee are dear friends who are committed to their work as elected officials and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s first historically Black sorority. As a result, Harris wanted to attend the services despite a busy schedule as he is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
“He wanted to make sure he was there to show his respect,” the official said of Harris.
The official said Harris reached out to Jackson Lee on shared legislative goals both during his time in the Senate and after becoming vice president, including reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, providing clean water and removing lead pipes from communities, and funding historically black communities. he said it was. colleges and universities and focusing on maternal health disparities, particularly for black women.
The official said the two are working together on efforts to make June a federal holiday and pass the George Floyd Police Justice Act, a police reform bill.
In a statement released at the time of Jackson Lee’s death, Harris described Jackson Lee as “a tenacious advocate for justice and a tireless fighter for the people of Houston and the American people.” an effective legislator and a very loyal colleague and friend. He also said Jackson Lee was “first and foremost a leader committed to serving the people of his beloved city of Houston” and “a champion for women’s rights.”
“Sheila Jackson Lee’s work as a judge in Houston, as a member of the Houston City Council and as a member of the United States Congress has improved the lives of millions of Americans,” Harris said. “He saw what a more equal, more just and freer nation could be, and he dedicated his life to realizing that vision.”
Harris also recalled working with Jackson Lee on legislation while serving in Congress and with members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“Working with the congressman was awe-inspiring at his mastery of the legislative process,” Harris said. “He was ruthless — one of our nation’s fiercest, smartest and most strategic leaders in the way he thought about how progress would happen. There was never a conversation with a congressman that was trivial or pointless. “He has always fought for the people of Houston and the American people.”
Thursday’s visit will be Harris’ third trip to Texas in the past month and his second as a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
Harris was also in Dallas earlier this month to speak at a convention for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Last week, he spoke at a convention for the American Federation of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, in Houston.