Sheila Jackson Lee
| Sheila Jackson Lee | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 18th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Craig Washington |
| Member of the Houston City Council from the At-large #4 District | |
| In office January 2, 1990 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Hall |
| Succeeded by | John Peavy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 12, 1950 Queens, New York |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Elwyn C. Lee |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Alma mater | Yale University University of Virginia Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Seventh-day Adventist |
| Website | jacksonlee.house.gov |
Sheila Jackson Lee (born January 12, 1950) is the U.S. Representative for Texas's 18th congressional district, serving since 1995. The district includes most of inner-city Houston. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early life and education
Jackson Lee graduated from Jamaica High School in Queens. She earned a B.A. in political science from Yale University in 1972, followed by a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975.[1] She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[2]
Early political career
Jackson Lee made three unsuccessful attempts at local judgeships before becoming a municipal judge from 1987 to 1990.[3] Jackson Lee, along with Sylvia Garcia, were appointed by then Mayor of Houston Kathy Whitmire. In 1989 she won the at-large position for a seat on the Houston City Council, serving until 1994.[3] While on the city council, Jackson Lee helped pass a safety ordinance that required parents to keep their guns away from children.[4] She also worked for expanded summer hours at city parks and recreation centers as a way to combat gang violence.[5]
U.S. House of Representatives
Prior to the 110th Congress, Jackson Lee served on the House Science Committee and on the Subcommittee that oversees space policy and NASA.[citation needed] She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus,[6] and a CBC whip.[7]
In 2000, she favored permanently normalizing trade status for China, arguing that it would aid both human rights and Houston's economy.[8]
Jackson Lee traveled to the 2001 World Conference against Racism in South Africa, and has backed sanctions against Sudan.[9] On April 28, 2006, Jackson Lee, along with four other members of Congress and six other activists, was arrested for disorderly conduct in front of Sudan's embassy in Washington. They were protesting the role of Sudan's government in ethnic cleansing in Darfur.[10]
Committee assignments
Caucuses
Lee is or has been a member of a number of caucuses, including: the 9-11 Commission Caucus, the Building a Better America Caucus (BABAC), the Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety, and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Task forces in which she has participated include Children and Families, Homeland Security, Immigration, and Katrina. She has been the co-chair of the Congressional Algeria Caucus, the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, the Democratic Outreach Task Force, and the US-Afghan Caucus. Lee has also been a member of the House Democratic Steering Committee.
Venezuela
Jackson Lee has urged better relations between the U.S. and Venezuela, which she describes as a friendly nation. She said the U.S. should reconsider its ban on selling F-16 fighter jets and spare parts to that country. The U.S. State Department bans such sales due to "lack of support" for counter-terrorist operations and Venezuela's relations with Iran and Cuba.[11][12]
Political campaigns
In 1994, Jackson Lee, then serving her third term as a member of the Houston City Council, challenged four-term incumbent Congressman Craig Washington in the Democratic primary for the 18th District.[3] Washington had come under fire for opposing several projects that would have benefited the Houston area.[7] Jackson Lee routed Washington in the primary, winning 63 percent of the vote. The victory was tantamount to election in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district (it has since been reconfigured to be plurality-black). She was elected in November and has been reelected seven times with no substantive opposition, usually winning over 70 percent of the vote. The Republicans did not run a candidate against her in 1998 or 2004.
In 2008, she endorsed Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.[citation needed]
Personal life
Jackson Lee moved to Houston after her husband, Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, took a job at the University of Houston. Her husband now holds a dual position of Vice Chancellor and Vice President for Student Affairs of the University of Houston System ("UHS") and the University of Houston ("UH"), respectively.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Sheila Jackson Lee: Biography". House.gov. http://www.jacksonlee.house.gov/Biography/. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ Magagnini, Stephen (January 1, 2008). "Pride and comfort ; National black sorority 'gathers for the specific purpose of being selfless'". Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, Tex.): p. B.1.
- ^ a b c FELDMAN, CLAUDIA (February 19, 1995). "SHEILA JACKSON LEE GOES TO WASHINGTON". Houston Chronicle: p. 6.
- ^ ROBINSON, JAMES (April 23, 1992). "Council moves to keep guns away from kids". Houston Chronicle: p. 1.
- ^ "FOR CONGRESS, DIST. 18/Recommending nomination of Sheila Jackson Lee". Houston Chronicle: p. 2. February 13, 1994.
- ^ Wright, James (September 23, 1995). "Who's Who in the Congressional Black Caucus". Afro - American Red Star (Washington, D.C.) 104 (6): p. B1.
- ^ a b Tim Fleck (20 February 1997). "What's Driving Miss Shelia?". Houston Press. http://www.houstonpress.com/1997-02-20/news/what-s-driving-miss-shelia/Sheila/.
- ^ "Small firms to get help in exporting". Houston Chronicle: p. 2. October 7, 2000.
- ^ LEVINE, SAMANTHA (April 30, 2006). "DELEGATION WATCH / Jackson Lee backs her vow on Darfur / Calls her arrest a statement on the war and genocide". Houston Chronicle: p. 10. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3828625.html.
- ^ Jim Doyle, Five members of Congress arrested over Sudan protest, San Francisco Chronicle, April 28, 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2006.
- ^ "Jackson Lee wants ban on fighter jets reconsidered." Houston Chronicle. February 21, 2007
- ^ "Jackson Lee tries to smooth Chavez ties / Her Venezuela trip, she says, was an attempt to protect jobs here." Houston Chronicle.
Alison Cook, Alison Cook looks back at 1997: The Year That Bit, Houston Press, May 2, 2007.
External links
- Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, official U.S. House site
- Sheila Jackson Lee for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Congressional profile at GovTrack
- Congressional profile at OpenCongress
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
- Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Appearances on C-SPAN programs
- Sheila Jackson Lee, Accountable Corporations The Nation, January 19, 2006
- Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee: Immigration is the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time Democracy Now, April 4, 2006
- Tim Fleck, What's Driving Miss Sheila? Houston Press, February 20, 2007
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Craig Washington |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 18th congressional district 1995–present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Doc Hastings R-Washington |
United States Representatives by seniority 103rd |
Succeeded by Walter B. Jones R-North Carolina |
- 1950 births
- African American politicians
- African American women in politics
- African American members of the United States House of Representatives
- American female lawyers
- American Seventh-day Adventists
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Houston City Council members
- Living people
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
- People from New York City
- People from Queens
- Texas Democrats
- Texas state court judges
- University of Virginia School of Law alumni
- Women state legislators in Texas
- Yale University alumni
