Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas, has announced that she has pancreatic cancer.
“My doctors have confirmed my diagnosis of pancreatic cancer,” Rep. Jackson Lee, 74, said in a statement late Sunday. “I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year.”
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Due to her future treatments, Jackson Lee stated that she may miss legislative votes on occasion, but she is “committed” to working with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on legislation that is “critical for the prosperity and security of the American people.”
“I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease,” Jackson Lee said in a statement. “The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, non-Hispanic Black persons are more prone to develop pancreatic cancer. It is the tenth most prevalent form of disease, affecting only 1.7% of people in their lifetime.
At diagnosis, the average age is 70.
Jackson Lee, who represents Texas’ 18th District, which includes sections of Houston, just won a primary election to retain her position. This comes after Jackson Lee lost her candidacy for mayor late last year.
She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and has been in Congress for almost 30 years. Most recently, in May, Jackson Lee reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Jackson Lee serves on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees.
She is also a public school supporter who has requested that the school department’s Office for Civil Rights initiate a Title VI investigation into last year’s takeover of Houston’s Independent School District.
The lawmaker argued that redrawing the country’s eighth-largest district based on race might have far-reaching consequences.
“This is not helping our families,” Jackson Lee told ABC News in March, after learning that Houston public school teachers were resigning. “It doesn’t benefit our children.” That is our first concern, and I will work with them until the end to bring back an elected board and governance that includes our parents and teachers so they can do what is best for our children’s well-being,” she added.
According to school district records, black and Hispanic students account for more than 80% of HISD enrollment. Title VI of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.
