evidence: Remembering Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas Texas congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a leading voice for progressive causes in the House, died Friday in Houston. Longtime Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has died at the age of 74. Jackson Lee, who was running for a 16th term, announced in June that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She had a reputation as a firebrand, a prominent voice on civil rights and progressive issues in Texas and across the country. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports on Jackson Lee's legacy.