President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will each travel to Houston this week to pay their respects to former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, according to statements from the White House.
Jackson Lee, who passed away at age 74 on July 19 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, was one of the longest-serving members of Texas’ congressional delegation and a staunch advocate for progressive causes.
In a heartfelt statement following Jackson Lee’s passing, Harris called her a “dear friend” and praised her tireless work on disaster relief after Hurricane Harvey and as a champion for women’s rights. Both Harris and Jackson Lee were members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a historically Black sorority, and collaborated on significant legislation, including the law that made Juneteenth a national holiday.
“Sheila Jackson Lee was, first and foremost, a leader dedicated to serving the people of her beloved city,” Harris said in her statement. “No task was too small as long as it was the right thing to do.”
Biden and Harris’ trips to Houston will not overlap. Biden will travel to Houston on Monday and is expected to visit Houston City Hall, where Jackson Lee is lying in state. Harris will be in Houston on Wednesday to deliver remarks at a political event and will deliver a eulogy at Jackson Lee’s homegoing service the following day. The Celebration of Life Service on Thursday will take place at Fallbrook Church and will be live-streamed, according to a schedule of events shared by Jackson Lee’s family.
This trip marks Harris’ third visit to Texas in the last month. On July 10, Harris traveled to Dallas to speak to about 20,000 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha at their annual convention. Last week, she was in Houston to receive a briefing on the ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Beryl and delivered a keynote address at the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention.
Biden was originally scheduled to visit Texas on July 15 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but the trip was postponed due to an attempted assassination on former U.S. President Donald Trump. This visit has been rescheduled for Monday, when the President will travel to Houston after delivering a speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.
Biden withdrew from the presidential race on July 21 and quickly endorsed Harris, urging Democrats to rally around the vice president to defeat Trump, the Republican challenger.