sSometimes, when Vice President Kamala Harris saw Representative Sheila Jackson Lee coming down the hall, she thought about hiding. Harris confessed as much with a smile at the Texas Democrat’s memorial service, where those present were well aware of how ruthless Jackson Lee could be.
Jackson Lee, Harris said, never wasted time on small talk or trivial niceties, but delved into whatever detailed problem he was trying to solve and what Harris could do about it.
Harris, who took time out of her 96-day campaign for president to praise Jackson Lee on Thursday, praised the example she set for others over nearly three decades in Congress. Jackson Lee showed that once you gain power, “there is an obligation to do something good with it,” Harris said.
In the week and a half since her party’s nomination for president was confirmed, Harris has focused her public comments on drawing a distinction between her work as a prosecutor and Donald Trump’s criminal record. She also laid out her vision for a country that embraces more people in its success, a goal she said Jackson Lee spent his life pushing his peers to pursue.
Speaking at the cavernous Fallbrook Church on the northern outskirts of Houston, Harris described Jackson Lee as “one of the smartest and most strategic lawmakers in Washington, D.C.” and said “she was also one of the most ruthless.”
Harris was joined on stage by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford, Reverend Jesse Jackson, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “She always hoped that all of us would reach a point of excellence, knowing that life was too short and there was so much to be done,” Harris said.
Just days before Jackson Lee passed away on July 19 at age 74, Harris described calling the congresswoman to thank her for her encouragement over the years. “I thanked him for his courage and conviction and for his tireless focus on those who are often left out and behind, and for his unwavering belief in the power that each of us has to change our country for the better.”
Harris told the story of how, in the summer of 2011, when several Houston community pools were closed during hot summer days because of budget shortfalls, Jackson Lee called businesses in the city and pressured them to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to reopen the pools.
Jackson Lee was a “coalition builder” who knew that “the vast majority of us have much more in common than what separates us,” Harris said. Harris said her husband Doug Emhoff and Jackson Lee developed a bond over the years and the two attended many events together with the Houston Jewish community. She described her work as advocating for women’s rights, protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ federal workers, founding the Congressional Children’s Caucus and pushing to make June 19 a federal holiday.
“To honor his memory, let us continue to fight to realize the promise of America, a promise of freedom, opportunity and justice, not just for some, but for all,” Harris said.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
