U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, 74, announced that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and alerted her constituents that she would be “occasionally absent” from Congress while undergoing treatment.
“My doctors have confirmed my diagnosis for pancreatic cancer,” Jackson Lee said in a statement. “I am currently undergoing treatment to battle this disease that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year. I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to target my specific disease. The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me.”
Jackson Lee has represented Texas’ 18th congressional district for 30 years.
“As I pursue my treatments, it is likely that I will be occasionally absent from Congress, but rest assured my office will continue to deliver the vital constituent services that you deserve and expect.”
Throughout her illustrious career, Jackson Lee has sponsored several major legislative initiatives, including issues such as police reform, hate crimes and sentencing laws. She is the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established the first new federal holiday in 38 years and of the passage of the Violence Against Women’s Act which was signed by the President for the first time in almost a decade.
“I am committed to working with our Congressional Leadership, including Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Speaker of House, to serve this nation and be present for votes on legislation that is critical for the prosperity and security of the American people. By God’s grace, I will be back at full strength soon,” he statement concludes. “Please keep me and my family in your prayers as you have always done. Know that you will remain in mine. As always, God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”
