| CONGRESSWOMAN
From the desk of her district office to the floor of congress,
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee is a tenacious defender
of the rights of all Americans and a true Nation Builder.
Now serving her fourth term in the United States House of
Representatives, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has proven
herself a tireless advocate for both her local constituents
and for citizens throughout the country who benefit from her
progressive legislative efforts. Recognized by Ebony as one
of the 100 most fascinating black women of the century, and
by
Congressional Quarterly as one of the 50 most effective members
in Congress, Sheila Jackson Lee is an eloquent defender of
the Constitution and an outspoken champion
for the rights of minorities, women, children and the elderly.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee was elected President
of the Democratic Freshman Class of the 104th Congress and
appointed to serve as the freshman member of the House Democratic
Steering and Policy Committee. From these earliest
days it was clear that her colleagues viewed her with exceptionally
high esteem. Among the many highlights of her distinguished
congressional career is her service on the
House Committee on the Judiciary, where she is the first African-American
woman to serve as the ranking Democrat on the
Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims. In this leadership
role, Congresswoman Jackson Lee has worked to overhaul the
Immigration and Naturalization Service to better address the
nation's immigration laws.
The Congresswoman is also a member of the
House Committee on Science, where she sits on the Subcommittee
on Space and
Aeronautics. As a staunch supporter of NASA, Congresswoman
Jackson Lee authored an amendment in 1999 to restore
appropriations to this agency and to assure that NASA recruitment
extended to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.In
recognition of her outstanding contributions
to Science, the National Technical Association of Scientists
and Engineers honored the Congresswoman in 1998 as one of
their Top Women in the Sciences.
During her tenure in Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee has
served as Co-Chair of the Congressional Children's
Caucus, Co-Chair of the Democratic Caucus's Children's Taskforce,
Speaker on the Bipartisan Taskforce on Youth Violence, member
of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. From
these earliest days it was clear that her colleagues viewed
her with exceptionally high esteem. Among
the many highlights of her distinguished congressional career
is her service on the House Committee on the Judiciary, where
she is the first African-American woman to serve as the ranking
Democrat on the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
In this leadership role, Congresswoman Jackson Lee has worked
to overhaul the Immigration and Naturalization Service to
member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, the Congressional
Caucus on Women's Issues, the Congressional Black Caucus,
the Aeronautics and Space Caucus
and the House Democratic Caucus Task Forces on Hunger, Welfare
Reform, Economic Renewal, and Affirmative Action.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee was also awarded for her outstanding
work on mental health legislation in 1998. As the sponsor
of sixteen amendments to several major
pieces of legislation in the past twelve months alone, she
is one of the leading legislators in Congress.
A savvy veteran of both local and national
politics, Congresswoman Jackson Lee has used her depth of
knowledge and breadth of experience to create a legacy of
positive
change on the 18th Congressional District of Texas-and indeed
the entire country. Tonight we recognize her multiple accomplishments,
even as we look forward to her
many more years of continued service in the nation's capital.
CIVIL RIGHTS.
JUVENILE JUSTICE. ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. CONGRESSWOMAN JACKSON LEE IS IN THE
HEART OF THE BATTLE FOR ISSUES THAT WILL DECIDE AMERICA’S
21ST CENTURY.
|
|
