Vice President Kamala Harris will fly to Houston on Thursday to attend funeral services for longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who died this month after a battle with cancer, according to an official who first shared the details with NBC News.
Harris’ office said Harris and Jackson Lee were close friends who bonded over their work as elected officials and as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s first historically black sorority. . As a result, Harris wanted to attend the services despite having a packed schedule now that she is the first candidate to become the Democratic nominee.
“She wanted to make sure she was there to pay her respects,” said Harris’ official.
The official also said Harris connected with Jackson Lee on common legislative goals both while Harris served in the Senate and when she became vice president, including reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, ensuring clean water and removing lead pipes from communities, allocate funding for historically Black. colleges and universities, and focus on the disparities related to maternal health, especially regarding black women.
The official also said the two worked together to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and on efforts to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a police reform law that has been stalled.
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 people of America” who “he distinguished himself as a dedicated advocate for his community, an effective legislator, and a fiercely loyal colleague and friend.” She also said Jackson Lee was “first and foremost, a leader dedicated to serving the people of his beloved city” of Houston and “a champion for women’s rights.”
“As a judge in Houston, a member of the Houston City Council, and a member of the United States Congress, Sheila Jackson Lee’s work has improved the lives of millions of Americans,” Harris said in the statement. . “He saw what it could be — a nation that is more equal, fairer and freer — and he dedicated his life to realizing that vision.”
Harris also recalled working with Jackson Lee on legislation when they served in Congress together and as members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“Working alongside the congressman I was in awe of her mastery of the legislative process,” Harris said in the statement. “He was relentless – one of the most fierce, intelligent and strategic leaders of our nation in the way he thought about how to make progress. There was never a trivial or trivial conversation with the deputy. She always fought for the people of Houston and the people of America.”
Thursday’s trip will be Harris’ third visit to Texas in the past month and his second as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.
Harris was also in Dallas earlier this month to speak at a convention for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. And last week, he spoke at a convention in Houston for the American Federation of Teachers, a major teachers union.