Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee
Texas, 18th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2435 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Ph: 202-225-3816
Fx: 202-225-3317
www.jacksonlee.house.gov

1919 Smith Street
Suite 1180
Houston, Texas 77002
Ph: 713-655-0050
Fx: 713-655-1612

		420 West 19th Street Houston, Texas 77008 Ph: 713-861-4070
6719 West Montgomery Suite 204 Houston, Texas 77091 Ph: 713-691-4882		3300 Lyons Ave. Suite 301 Houston, TX 77020 Ph: 713-227-7740 Fx: 713-227-7707
Chief of Staff Kathi Wilkes kathi.wilkes@mail.house.gov		Legislative Director Gregory Berry gregory.berry@mail.house.gov

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is serving her seventh term as a member of the United States House of Representatives. She represents the 18th Congressional District of Texas, centered in Houston, which is the energy capital of the world.


















Enlarge Map

Congresswoman Jackson Lee earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University with honors, followed by a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. In the 110th Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was named the new Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection.

She sits on three Congressional Committees — the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs. The Congresswoman has authored several immigration bills, such as H.R. 750, the "Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2007", which sets forth a comprehensive and humane solution to the immigration problem. Rep. Jackson Lee introduced legislation to enhance federal enforcement of hate crimes with H.R. 254, the David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention of 2007. Rep. Jackson Lee also played a significant role in the recent renewal and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Congresswoman Jackson Lee contributed an amendment to the NASA reauthorization bill this year that will ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students to NASA’s education programs.

In addition, the Congresswoman launched the Dr. Mae C. Jemison Grant Program to work with institutions serving minorities to bring more women of color in the field of space and aeronautics. As Chairwoman of the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee, Congresswoman Jackson Lee has supported enhanced technology, better intelligence, increased airplane cargo inspections, increased security for railroads, and implementation of the 9/11 Commission report.

In addition, Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a founder, member, and co-chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, the Pakistan Caucus, Afghan Caucus, and newly formed Algerian Caucus. Congresswoman Jackson Lee has been actively engaged in addressing and resolving the genocide in Darfur. Accordingly, she met with Sudanese refugees in Chad, for whom she secured additional funding, and African Union soldiers in Sudan.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee has been hailed by Ebony magazine as one of the "100 Most Fascinating Black Women of the 20th Century." "Congressional Quarterly" named Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress. "U.S. News and World Report" named her as one of the 10 most influential legislators in the House of Representatives. And the "Houston Chronicle" named Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as one of the most influential and prolific legislators on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jackson Lee recently received the 2006 Award for Policy at the 16th Annual Phillip Burton Immigration & Civil Rights Awards. In 2005, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was awarded the Drum Major Award for Public Service by the Revelation Urban Development Institute. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to Science, the National Technical Association (NTA) of Scientists and Engineers honored the Congresswoman with its Top Women in the Sciences Award. Congresswoman Jackson Lee was also awarded the "Legislator of the Year" by the National Mental Health Association for her outstanding work on mental health legislation.

Before her election to Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee served two terms as one of the first African American women At-Large members of the Houston City Council, where she chaired the first Human Relations Committee, along with the Airport and Cable Committees. Prior to her Council service, she was an Associate Municipal Court Judge for the City of Houston.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee is married to Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, who 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. They have two children Erica, who is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Duke University, and Jason, who is a third year student at Harvard University.

Source: U.S. House of Representatives

The 18th Congressional District includes central Houston and many of its surrounding neighborhoods. The 2003 redistricting decreased the Black population of the district while adding Latino residents, and today Blacks comprise 40 percent of the 18th Congressional District and Latinos make up 37 percent. The district’s poverty rate is 23.3 percent and the median income is $31,291.