Sheila Jackson Lee

Sheila Jackson Lee (born January 12, 1950 in Queens, New York), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents Houston's 18th Congressional District (map), which was once the domain of her role model, former congresswoman Barbara Jordan. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Queens is geographically the largest of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States, and the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. It is coterminous with Queens County in the State of New York and is located on western Long Island. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, the other one being the Republican Party. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Houston redirects here. ... Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American politician from Texas. ...

Early Life

Jackson Lee graduated from Jamaica High School in Queens. She went on to earn a B.A. in political science from Yale University in 1972, followed by a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School in 1975. Jackson Lee moved to Houston after her husband, Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, took a job at the University of Houston. Her husband now holds a dual position of Vice Chancellor and Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Houston System and the University of Houston, respectively. A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... Political science is a social science discipline that deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... J.D. redirects here; for alternative uses, see JD. Juris Doctor (J.D.) is a professional doctorate awarded by American law schools as the first degree in law. ... Website Virginia. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Elwyn C. Lee is Vice Chancellor and Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Houston System and the University of Houston, respectively. ... The University of Houston, often called U of H or UH, is a comprehensive doctoral degree-granting university[1] located in Houston, Texas. ... The University of Houston System is an organization which oversees and funds four independent, self-governing universities and two multi-institution teaching centers (MITCs, pronounced mit-sees). It also administers a radio station, KUHF-FM, and a television station, KUHT-TV. The University of Houston System is the fourth largest... The University of Houston, often called U of H or UH, is a comprehensive doctoral degree-granting university[1] located in Houston, Texas. ...

Political Career

Jackson Lee made two unsuccessful attempts at local judgeships before becoming a municipal judge from 1987 to 1990 (Jackson-Lee, along with Sylvia Garcia, were appointed by then mayor of Houston Kathy Whitmire). In 1989 she won the At-Large Position Four seat on the Houston City Council, serving until 1994. While on the city council, Jackson Lee helped push through a gun safety ordinance that punished parents who did not keep their guns away from children. She also worked for expanded summer hours at city parks and recreation centers as a way to combat gang violence. Right before a reelection bid for a second term as a council member, a referendum for term limits within Houston city government would lead to Jackson-Lee seeking tenure in another elected office. A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Kathryn J. Kathy Whitmire (born 29th October 1946) was Mayor of the city of Houston, Texas from 1982 to 1991. ... The Houston City Council is the a city council for the city of Houston, Texas. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 155 mm M198 howitzer U.S. Army soldier with a compact M249 variant USS Iowa (BB-61) fires a full broadside of nine 16/50 and six 5/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Also in 1994, Jackson Lee (serving her third term as a member of the Houston City Council) defeated incumbent Congressman Craig Washington in the Democratic primary for the 18th Congressional District of Texas; a victory which assured her the seat itself, as the district is overwhelmingly Democratic. Washington had previously made powerful enemies, namely Houston's downtown power brokers (such as then-Enron Chief Kenneth Lay), by voting against congressional bills favoring NAFTA and NASA because neither, in his judgement, provided anything for his constituents. Craig Anthony Washington (October 12, 1941-), an African-American congressman in the United States House of Representatives from Texas; born in Longview, Gregg County, Texas, October 12, 1941. ... Kenneth Lee Lay (born April 15, 1942) is an American businessman and former CEO of Enron Corporation. ... Nafta or NAFTA may refer to: an acronym for the North American Free Trade Agreement an acronym for the New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement the town/Tokyo of Nafta, Tunisia This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Irked by they perceived as Washington's overt and aggressive liberalism, Lay and other conservatives first convinced then Councilwoman Jackson Lee to run against Washington, then put their sizable deep pockets behind her and her campaign, even though she was a Democrat. Her primary victory was guaranteed as many registered Republicans in the district ignored the Republican primary altogether and "crossed-over" to vote in the Democratic primary for Jackson Lee.

As a federal legislator, Jackson Lee speaks loudly and often and as a result she has been accused of being publicity hungry. But this also means her liberal views — which range from supporting affirmative action to immigrant and women's rights — do not go unnoticed in a Republican-controlled Congress. // Usage of the word Liberal In the United States, the common meaning of liberal has changed over time. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... Feminism is a diverse, competing, and often opposing collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

Jackson Lee presents herself in the mold of her role model, the famed black legislator Barbara Jordan, who represented the same congressional district from 1973 to 1979. Jackson Lee — borrowing a page from Jordan's book — uses her seat on the Judiciary Committee to focus attention on civil rights, abortion rights and other liberal causes. Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American politician from Texas. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

Minority issues are at the forefront of Jackson Lee's political agenda. Within the past few years she has traveled to South Africa to decry racism and has backed sanctions against Sudan. She is the first vice-chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. An African-American man drinks out of the colored only water cooler at a racially segregated streetcar terminal in the United States in 1939. ... The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ...

When it comes to the residents of her district — which are overwhelmingly poor and black — Jackson Lee does not shy away from partnering with Tom DeLay, whose conservatism sharply contrasts with her own views. Hoping to boost the Houston area's oil industry, Jackson Lee sided with DeLay in backing President George W. Bush's energy plan, strongly criticized by environmentalists. The two have also cosponsored a bill strengthening child protective services. Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a congressman from Sugar Land, Texas, a former House Majority Leader, and a prominent member of the Republican Party who recently announced he would soon resign his seat. ... It has been suggested that black gold (oil) be merged into this article or section. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and former governor of Texas. ... Bold textHello ...

Jackson Lee is a liberal ideologue, but she does not always side with her Democratic Party, particularly on trade issues. In 2000 she favored permanently normalizing trade status for China, arguing that it would aid both human rights and Houston's economy. It was also a priority for Enron Corporation, with which she has financial ties. The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, the other one being the Republican Party. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Enron Corporation was an energy company based in Houston, Texas. ...

During Enron's financial collapse in 2001, Jackson Lee was content to allow other Democrats to speak against Enron's alleged corporate abuses. Enron's CEO was one of her major financial backers when she was elected to her first congressional term in 1994; Enron itself has given generously to her campaigns. Though, the congresswoman has not been linked to any illegalities regarding Lay or affiliates of Enron. 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Controversy

Publicity-Seeking

Critics complain that Jackson Lee has a tendency to volunteer unsolicited on-camera commentary and press statements on a wide range of political issues, such as a 2003 request to use more African American-sounding names when naming hurricanes and tropical storms, feeling the current selections were too "lily white." [1] This has caused conservative critics to nickname her "Hurricane Sheila." 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ...

Jackson Lee volunteered herself as an unsolicited advocate for the father of Elián González in the international custody controversy. She also attracted controversy in 2003 by meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and offering to sponsor a visit for the controversial leader to the United States. INS agents recover Elián González by force from his uncles house; this photo, taken by AP photographer Alan Diaz won a Pulitzer Prize. ... Bashar al-Assad (بشار الاسد) (born September 11, 1965) is the current President of Syria (The Syrian Arab Republic), Regional Secretary of the Baath Party and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad. ...

Other criticism

According to the Houston Press and The Hill, Jackson Lee has also reportedly been involved in several altercations with airline flight personnel over her requests for a complimentary upgrade to first class based on her celebrity. [2]

Another altercation onboard an airplane was reported by The Hill. During a full flight on Continental Airlines Jackson Lee was denied a complimentary upgrade to first class. According to a witness interviewed by the Capitol Hill newspaper, "When she saw that she had to sit with other people, she started shouting that she was in Congress and worked hard. She was really loud. Everybody in the plane could hear." Later in the flight she is reported to have had a "friendly visit" with the displaced passengers. [3] Continental Airlines (IATA: CO, ICAO: COA, and Callsign: Continental) (NYSE: CAL) is an American airline. ...

The Press further reports that Jackson Lee has a reputation on Capitol Hill as a "high-maintenance" employer and has exhibited one of the largest staff turnover rates for years [4].

Alleged use of the race card and gender card

Other critics have charged Jackson Lee with frequent political race baiting to obtain political goals. In a 2002 incident Jackson Lee became engaged in a shouting match with Republican Dana Rohrabacher, the Chairman of the NASA subcommittee, after Rohrabacher ruled her out of order for exceeding her allotted time for questions. Jackson Lee snapped back at Rohrabacher, "I'm the only member that you comment on. It may be that I'm the only African-American woman sitting here."[5][6] Rohrabacher responded, "Ms. Jackson Lee, that type of charge is beneath you. It is beneath your dignity." Jackson Lee also accused the Harris County (Houston) Republican Party of racism after an email it sent to members criticizing the local Democratic congressional delegation included a photograph of her but not the Democratic "white male" members from other Houston districts, despite the fact that the email was one of a series that did, in fact, include her white male Democrat colleagues.[7] Race baiting is the act of using racially derisive language, actions or other forms of communication to anger or intimidate a person or groups of people, or to make those persons behave in ways that are inimical to their personal or group interests. ... Dana Rohrabacher (born June 21, 1947) in Coronado, California, is an American politician, who has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1989, representing the 46th District of California (map). ...

Trivia

In the television series The West Wing, Jackson-Lee's 18th district is represented by Matt Santos, a fictional Democrat, who goes on to be elected president during the show's seventh and final season. The West Wing is a popular and widely acclaimed American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin and produced and co-written by John Wells. ... Matthew Vincente Santos is a fictional character on the American television show The West Wing, played by Jimmy Smits. ...

External links

• Official website
• Campaign website
• 2004 campaign finance data
• "What's Driving Miss Sheila?" in the Houston Press [8]
• Map of her district
• Accountable Corporations by Sheila Jackson Lee
• Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee: Immigration is the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time