U. S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Houston, has announced that she is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Jackson Lee has served in Congress since 1995, representing the 18th congressional district of Texas, which includes most of central Houston. The Queens, New York, native is 74-years-old. You’ll see her name on the ballot in the general election come November.
Jackson Lee recently ran for mayor of Houston but lost.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee issued the Following Statement: pic.twitter.com/1WnKAN2CQs
— Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) June 3, 2024
The congresswoman, known for her outspokenness, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Before becoming a congresswoman, she served on the Houston City Council and also as a municipal judge.
Jackson Lee received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.
Previously, she had breast cancer and was declared cancer free in 2012.
Reaction was quick to Jackson Lee’s announcement, posted to social media.
“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee stands among the most fearless women I have ever known,” U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, a Democrat from New York, said in a statement. “My prayers are with her and her family as she confronts this difficult fight ahead – though I am certain her unparalleled tenacity and unwavering determination will see her overcome it.”
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said in a statement: “I have had the pleasure of working alongside Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on a number of bipartisan issues, and my heart breaks upon the news of her cancer diagnosis. Please join me in praying for her and a full, swift recovery.”
Comedian Paula Poundstone posted to her X account: “Dear Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, If you handle your illness the way you handle your job you will come out of this like the shining star that you are.”
Overall survival rates of pancreatic cancers are lower than those of other cancers, but the numbers are improving as treatments advance.
