The Hunger Center mourns the passing of the Honorable Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 74 on July 19, 2024. Rep. Jackson Lee was first elected to represent the 18th Congressional District of Texas in 1994, the same district once represented by Rep. Mickey Leland (1944-1989), and was re-elected to that office fourteen times. She served on the board of directors of the Congressional Hunger Center since 1996, and was a member of the House Hunger Caucus.
“Congress has lost a champion for the rights of those who are often forgotten or left behind in policy making,” said Executive Director Shannon Maynard. “Rep. Jackson Lee was a tenacious defender of justice, and used her office to promote equality and an end to hunger and poverty. She has also been a tremendous supporter of our work through her service on our board, and her example has been an inspiration to many of our fellows and alums. We are grateful for the legacy of leadership she leaves behind, and our hearts go out to her family, her staff, and the residents of Houston who mourn her loss.”