Sheila Jackson-Lee

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Sheila Jackson-Lee
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 18th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Craig Washington
Born	January 12, 1950 (1950-01-12) (age 59) Queens, New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	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 an American politician. She has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents Texas's 18th congressional district, which was once represented by her role model, former congresswoman Barbara Jordan.

[edit] Early life

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 Law School in 1975. 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. Jackson-Lee is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

[edit] Political career

Jackson-Lee made three unsuccessful attempts at local judgeships before becoming a municipal judge from 1987 to 1990. 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. While on the city council, Jackson-Lee helped push through a gun safety ordinance that punished parents who did not keep their guns away from children. She also worked for expanded summer hours at city parks and recreation centers as a way to combat gang violence.

In 1994, Jackson-Lee, then serving her third term as a member of the Houston City Council, defeated incumbent Congressman Craig Washington in the Democratic primary for the 18th Congressional District of Texas. The victory assured her the seat itself, as the district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

As a federal legislator, Jackson-Lee is an outspoken advocate for her liberal views, which range from supporting affirmative action to immigrant and women's rights.

Jackson-Lee's role model is the black legislator Barbara Jordan, who represented the same congressional district from 1973 to 1979. Like Jordan before her, Jackson-Lee uses her seat on the Judiciary Committee to focus attention on civil rights, abortion rights and other liberal causes.

Minority issues are at the forefront of Jackson-Lee's political concerns. Within the past few years she has traveled to South Africa to decry racism and has backed sanctions against Sudan. She is the first vice-chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Jackson-Lee on occasion has partnered with Republicans in Congress, for instance backing President George W. Bush's energy plan, which was strongly criticized by environmentalists. In 2000 she favored permanently normalizing trade status for China, arguing that it would aid both human rights and Houston's economy.

She was one of the 31 who voted in the House not to count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 Presidential election. ^[1]

Prior to the 110th Congress, Jackson-Lee served on the House Science Committee and on the Subcommittee that oversees space policy and NASA. She once asked, during a visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whether the Mars Pathfinder had taken an image of the flag planted on Mars in 1969 by Neil Armstrong, failing to know the flag was in fact planted on the Moon.^[2]

Jackson-Lee is one of the cosponsors of the 2007 Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act.

In 2008, she endorsed Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

She spoke at the Michael Jackson memorial service on July 7, 2009 in which she introduced a House Resolution 600 for the 111th Congress. The resolution if adopted would Honor Michael Jackson as a great humanitarian by the United States House of Representatives.^[3] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has declined to allow the resolution to come to the House floor for a full debate.^[3]

[edit] Committee assignments

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
  • Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
  • Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
• Committee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism
  • Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection (Chairwoman)
• Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy
  • Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
  • Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law

[edit] Venezuela

Jackson-Lee has urged better relations between the U.S. and Venezuela, which she describes as a friendly nation. She also seeks an end to the 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. ^[4][5]

[edit] Darfur

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 the Sudanese embassy in Washington. They were protesting the role of Sudan's government in ethnic cleansing in Darfur.^[6]

[edit] References

Alison Cook, Alison Cook looks back at 1997: The Year That Bit, Houston Press, May 2, 2007.

[edit] External links

• Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, official U.S. House website
• Sheila Jackson-Lee for U.S. Congress official campaign site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
• Tim Fleck, What's Driving Miss Sheila? Houston Press, February 20, 2007
• Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee: Immigration is the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time Democracy Now, April 4, 2006
• Sheila Jackson Lee, Accountable Corporations The Nation, January 19, 2006