Some info on Sheila Jackson Lee, the Congresswoman Randi just spoke with

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.jacksonlee.house.gov/



CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
The 109th Session of the United States Congress marks the 6th term served by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. She represents the Eighteenth Congressional District of Houston, Texas and sits on three Congressional Committees.

Currently, in the 109th Congress, Rep. Jackson Lee serves in the House Committees on the Judiciary, Science, and Homeland Security – a Committee that was made permanent in January 2005 by Congress. In the Committee on the Judiciary, she sits as the Ranking Democrat of its Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims – the only female Ranking Democrat in the Committee. She also sits on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.


In the Committee on Homeland Security, she sits on three Subcommittees: Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity; Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment; and Management, Integration, and Oversight.


Furthermore, in the Committee on Science, Rep. Jackson Lee serves as a senior member on the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. Recently, she offered an amendment to the appropriations committee to fund NASA fully when those dollars had been cut by the Administration.


In terms of her experience as an international advocate, she has traveled everywhere from Baghdad, Iraq to visit troops in major combat zones to Oslo, Norway to coalesce with women leaders on the issue of establishing world peace.


Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) traveled to Singapore on January 10, 2005 and continued to Sri Lanka with a Congressional Delegation on a mission to survey the damage and destruction caused by the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean and killed over 150,000. Joining Rep. Jackson Lee on this delegation were Representatives Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Steve Israel (D-NY), Al Green (D-TX), and Linda Sanchez (D-CA).

She and the delegation met with the Singapore Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong, and Defense Minister Mr. Teo Chee Hean. They spoke with the government officials on the extent of structural damage that was caused by the tsunami, the status of the multinational rescue efforts, and what can be done on a regional basis through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and how to address the immediate needs of those affected by the tsunamis. The Delegation arrived in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Sunday, January 16, and was hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).


Rep. Jackson Lee met with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, who provided an insight into the immediate needs of the Sri Lankan people affected by the tsunami and the efforts being made by the Sri Lankan government to deal with the natural disaster. She remarked that the Sri Lankan government has been heroic in the weeks since the tsunami hit its shores and that they have given tremendous cooperation to U.S. aid groups. The Foreign Minister also conveyed his gratitude for the generous support and assistance that has been given by the American government and its people. In Galle, Sri Lanka, she visited a maternity hospital that had been destroyed by the tsunami. The doctors and medical officials on the scene described how pregnant women and newborn infants were courageously evacuated from the maternity hospital before the tsunami destroyed everything. Even more miraculously, doctors were able to carry a woman through labor and safely deliver her child, even as the waves began to crash upon the shores of Galle. She remarked about the miracles that took place in that hospital and the courage of the doctors who refused to leave any patient behind showed the indomitable spirit of the Sri Lankan people. The Congresswoman also led the Delegation in presenting the hospital with some much needed medical supplies, which she had brought in to Sri Lanka. Prior to embarking on the trip, she formed a group known as Houston’s Solutions for Tsunami Victims. The alliance held a Medical Relief Drive and Save the Children Effort in Houston on January 9, 2005 in which thousands of vital medical supplies were collected to be delivered to tsunami stricken areas.


In June 2003, Rep. Jackson Lee’s diplomacy brought international business leaders to the 18th Congressional District. She hosted a business forum at the Four Seasons Hotel featuring His Excellence Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Minister of Energy, Industry, Electricity and Water for the State of Qatar along with many of his colleagues. His Excellency Abdulla Bin Hamad is also the President of the OPEC Ministerial Conference. Several members of the business community in the greater Houston area were given an opportunity to explore the prolific economic resources that the region has to offer. As a founding member of the Congressional Qatari-American Economic, Strategic Defense, Cultural and Educational Partnership Caucus she felt a sense of achievement in having facilitated this event.


In June 2003, the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders invited Rep. Jackson Lee to sit as an Honorary Chair for its Women’s Partnership for Peace in the Middle East summit in Oslo, Norway, which assembled an unprecedented 70 women from Israel, Palestine, the United States, Europe, and Asia.


Along with 28 members of the Democratic Party and led by the Democratic Whip, she spent a week in Israel on a Congressional Delegation, one of the largest to ever visit the country. In a series of meetings and historic surveys of locations of strategic and cultural importance, the Delegation made advancements in the struggle to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Taking that trip was a necessary part of the initial phases of the peace process in the region. She developed a frame of reference with which to devise realistic ways to achieve peace.

As a Member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Border Security, she always underscores the fact that terrorism is a real threat for all borders. For her, it is important that America apply some of the principles and tools employed in supporting the First Responders within her borders to counsel the First Responders close to the West Bank of Israel. The Congresswoman traveled to U.S. ports located in California and Colorado along with co-Members of the Select Committee in June of 2003 to analyze critical infrastructure and related facilities relied upon by U.S. First Responders with field hearings and inspections. Meetings with Cabinet Members and both the Palestinian and Israeli Prime Ministers regarding the status of the Roadmap for Peace allowed her to return to Congress with clear legislative initiatives.


Rep. Jackson Lee traveled to Algiers, Algeria on Wednesday, April 7, 2004. The Algerian government invited the Congresswoman, along with members of the African Union, the Arab League, the United Nations, and the European Parliament to observe its presidential elections held on Thursday, April 8, 2004. It was an honor for her to be the sole representative of the U.S. Congress charged with the duty of observing such an important phase of the nascent democracy. She reported to Congress and to the American people her findings as to the transparency, fairness, openness, and peacefulness of Algeria’s presidential election.


On Wednesday, April 7, 2004, the Congresswoman had meetings with the Algerian State Minister of Foreign Affairs; the President of the upper house of the Algerian Senate; the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of Participation and Investment Promotion; and Richard Erdman, U.S. Ambassador to Algeria. In these meetings, she discussed areas such as: the history of the electoral process and democracy in Algeria; foreign investment opportunities; security; human rights and civil liberties; freedom of the press; the legal process and adherence to the rule of law; international trade; and barriers to trade and democracy. The Algerian government was both enthusiastic and ready to foster trade with and investment with American companies – small and medium as well as large-scale. Furthermore, the different ministries showed an eagerness to learn from the experience of American government and private systems through possible future missions to the U.S. for observation and training.


In addition, she met with the President of the People’s National Assembly and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade to exchange dialogue regarding Algeria’s efforts to conduct fair, open, transparent, and safe elections; develop a representative government that is accessible to its constituents; create a robust trade relationship with the U.S.; and develop an economic environment that will attract and maintain American and other foreign investment.


She visited polling stations and offices of local governors, or “Walis,” in Bouzaraia, Babeloud – at its university campus, Boumerdese – site of the deadly earthquake of May 21, 2003, Blida, and Hydra in Algiers and the vicinity to observe the process and voter turnout. She was able to interview voters to get their impressions and witness a final count at a local polling station in Hydra.


Furthermore, on April 12-17th, Rep. Jackson Lee joined six other Congressional Black Caucus members on a fact-finding mission organized by the Brazil-U.S. Business Council. The mission focused on expanding opportunities for African-American businesses in Brazil through trade and partnerships with the Afro-Brazilian business community, creating closer links between the Congressional Black Caucus and their counterparts in the Bloco Negro of the Brazilian congress and developing a more robust dialogue on civil rights and empowerment issues between both communities. The trip was led by Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus foundation, and was made possible through the corporate sponsorship of Citigroup, PhRMA, General Motors, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the Port of New Orleans, iGATE Technologies, Odebrecht and Coca Cola, as well as the support of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. During the week, the delegation visited with private-sector, government and community leaders in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília and Salvador. During the delegation’s visit to Rio they discussed access to medicines issues with the leadership of GSK, as well as the broader commercial relationship with the directors of the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil - Rio de Janeiro. In São Paulo, the delegation discussed how to find a way forward in the Free Trade Area of the Americas process with the leadership of the São Paulo State Federation of Industry (FIESP) and the Brazil Section of the Brazil-U.S. Business Council. Particularly noteworthy was the delegations’ participation, and the Brazil Council’s organizational role in, a historic African-American/ Afro-Brazilian Business Summit. The Summit brought together nearly two hundred private and public sector leaders from both communities to discuss potential partnerships in the economic and political arenas and was hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil – São Paulo, the Brazil-U.S. Business Council and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.


The delegation’s visit to Brasília focused on three issues: reinvigorating the Free Trade Area of the Americas process, civil rights and empowerment issues and strengthening the dialogue between the political leadership of the African origin communities of both countries. The delegation discussed the status of the FTAA negotiations and how to create opportunities for empowering the African-American and Afro-Brazilian business communities in the process with Minister of Development Luiz Furlan, Chief FTAA Negotiator Regis Arslanian and the members of the FTAA Oversight Committee in the Brazilian Congress.


The delegation discussed civil rights and empowerment issues with Rep. Luiz Alberto, Chairman of the Black Caucus in the Brazilian legislature, Sen. Paulo Paim, sponsor of an important affirmative action bill, and were welcomed by President of the Chamber of Deputies João Paulo Cunha who used the opportunity to underscore his support for Sen. Paim’s bill. The delegation spent their final days in Salvador, Bahia, the heart of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian community and visited Grupo Bagunçaço, a USAID- funded program to provide education and empowerment to children in one of Salvador’s poorest communities. They also met with Bahia state’s Vice Governor to discuss opportunities for bilateral business partnership in the tourism area, focused on the African-American market. The group also met with executives at Odebrecht to learn about their considerable portfolio of construction projects in the U.S. and their efforts to stimulate minority business involvement through subcontracting.

Rep. Jackson Lee has long been a strong advocate for increased funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for state and local programs that provide emergency home repair for seniors and the disabled as well as for affordable housing programs. In 2004, the total amount of federal resource dollars delivered to the 18th Congressional District through her efforts was $459,977,898. Furthermore, in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2005, H.R. 4818, she helped to bring $1,094,000 in HUD-related funding to the District.


She has sponsored a number of legislative initiatives dealing with children and economic development and has been cited as the “Legislator of the Year” by the National Mental Health Association. As a member of Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, Rep. Jackson Lee has been able to solve a number of staffing problems for Houston’s international airports and channel federal resources to securing the southern border.



Washington Office
2435 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
[phone]
[phone] Fax

Houston Office
1919 Smith Street
Suite 1180
Houston, Texas 77002
[phone]
[phone] Fax

Heights Office
420 West 19th Street
Houston, Texas 77008
[phone]

Acres Home Office
6719 West Montgomery
Suite 204
Houston, Texas 77091
[phone]

:toast:

[dogday]

1. She is not my rep unfortunately. In fact she is the only Representative

you even hear about from Houston. I have some tight-assed Republican making crappy decisions about everything. I have two really screwed up Senators, they are on the Bush cheer-leading team. Thank goodness for Ms. Lee, she is a treasure....

[politicasista]

2. This woman cooks!

I like Ms. Jackson-Lee. :)

[Gothmog]

3. She is a good lady

My son went to school with her son for a while and her husband taught my wife in law school at U of H. She is a nice lady.

[mcd1982]

5. nice?!?!

she is rumoured to be the biggest b***h in Congress with the higher staff turnovers b/c she is impossible to work for...i live in texas and hear that about her all the time...

[lostnfound]

4. I've had the pleasure of meeting her twice in the streets

She's very hardworking. A good listener. Maybe not perfect, but if she were perfect, she probably wouldn't be allowed in congress. I personally appreciate her very much.