HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 Residents who stood in line on Monday to pay their respects to longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas as her body lay in state in Houston鈥檚 City Hall remembered her as an advocate for human rights and her community.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know of another politician that worked as hard as Sheila Jackson Lee did for our community, and I will be forever grateful to her for everything she did for our community,鈥 said Phyllis Moss, 62, a Houston resident who was among the more than 100 people who stood in line Monday morning to enter City Hall as the building was opened to the public.
Following a trip to Austin earlier in the day, President Joe Biden stopped in Houston on Monday evening and paid his respects to Jackson Lee.
Biden placed a bouquet of flowers beside Jackson Lee's flag-draped casket, briefly prayed over it and then put his hand on the casket before spending some time visiting with her husband and two children.
鈥淣o matter the issue 鈥 from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people 鈥 she was unrelenting in her leadership,鈥 Biden said in a statement after Jackson Lee鈥檚 death.
The congresswoman, who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize as a national holiday, was 74 when she died on July 19 after being treated for pancreatic cancer.
Her body will lie in state in Houston鈥檚 City Hall rotunda for 10 hours.
Residents, constituents, officials and others stood in line outside in hot and humid conditions before entering City Hall and walking by her flag-draped casket. A large photo of Jackson Lee, as well as two large flower arrangements, stood next to her casket.
Some who walked by Jackson Lee鈥檚 casket stopped to pray while others took photos.
Eskender Tamrat walked by and waved an Ethiopian flag. Tamrat, who immigrated to Houston from Ethiopia, called Jackson Lee 鈥渁 longtime friend of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian community.鈥
鈥淪he鈥檚 a great community supporter. She鈥檚 a great human rights advocate. But she鈥檚 also a global leader because she doesn鈥檛 just focus on the community in Houston or her area, but she focused on the betterment of every individual, every community,鈥 said Tamrat, 70.
By Monday afternoon, nearly 900 people had passed through the rotunda, according to a city spokesperson.
The Democrat had represented her Houston-based district and the nation鈥檚 fourth-largest city since 1995. She previously had breast cancer and announced the on June 2.
During a brief ceremony with local religious leaders before the rotunda was opened to the public, Mayor John Whitmire said he saw firsthand Jackson Lee鈥檚 passion and dedication for all Houston residents.
鈥淪he didn鈥檛 let a redistricting line or a boundary line interfere with her voice. We gather here this morning, sad but a celebration,鈥 said Whitmire, who had reached out to Jackson Lee's family about having her lie in state at City Hall.
Before being elected to Congress, Jackson Lee served on Houston鈥檚 city council from 1990 to 1994.
She was only the second person to be granted the honor of lying in state in Houston鈥檚 City Hall rotunda. The other was renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey, who died in 2008.
Monday was the first of several days of events honoring Jackson Lee鈥檚 life. She also is set to be remembered at viewings and services on Tuesday and Wednesday before her funeral Thursday.
Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to attend the funeral service in Houston.
After first being elected, Jackson Lee quickly established herself as a fierce advocate for women and minorities and a leader for House Democrats on many social justice issues, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved people. She led the first rewrite of the in nearly a decade, which included protections for Native American, transgender and immigrant women.
Jackson Lee routinely won reelection to Congress with ease. She to be Houston鈥檚 mayor last year.
Bobbie D. Nickerson, 71, a suburban Houston resident, said Monday鈥檚 crowd at City Hall for Jackson Lee shows 鈥渉ow much she was loved and cared for and respected.鈥
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