evidence: U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is dead at 74 [...] WASHINGTON — Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat who was one of the longest serving members of Texas’ congressional delegation and a longtime advocate for progressive causes, died on Friday amid her battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 74. [...] Jackson Lee was a progressive advocate on Capitol Hill for decades. She was an early opponent of the Iraq War and advocate for gay rights. In 2021, Jackson Lee was arrested for engaging in civil disobedience over a federal voting rights bill. By the time of her death, she was a senior member of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees. She never shied from speaking on the House floor or before the cameras on causes she cared about.