Sheila Jackson Lee celebration of life: Vice President Kamala Harris pays tribute to late Texas congresswoman at Houston service

HOUSTON, Texas — Household, associates, and fellow politicians gathered on Thursday to honor the life and legacy of longtime Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at a celebration of life service.

“Remembering Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee” began at 11 a.m. central time. Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris delivered the eulogy on the celebration of life on Thursday.

“To know her was to know a real champion. Every little thing she did, Sheila Jackson Lee labored with all her coronary heart,” Harris mentioned through the service. “The congresswoman was a frontrunner for Houston. She was a nationwide chief. She touched the lives of the individuals throughout our nation.”

“She was a pressure,” the vice chairman continued. “However she by no means allowed something to be mediocre. She all the time anticipated in all of us that we might rise to some extent of excellence realizing life was too quick and there is simply an excessive amount of to be executed.”

WATCH: Vice President Kamala Harris delivers eulogy at service for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

RELATED: Kamala Harris attends political occasions forward of eulogy for Sheila Jackson Lee in Houston

Among the many attendees of Thursday’s service had been additionally Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and forty second President of the USA Invoice Clinton.

“She spent years working to make Juneteenth a federal vacation, to memorialize the top of slavery,” Hillary Clinton mentioned of the late congresswoman.

“Earlier than you already know it, (Jackson Lee) made it onto the smallest listing we saved within the White Home after I was there. It was referred to as the, ‘Simply say sure’ listing,” Invoice Clinton added. “Fairly quickly, Sheila made the listing. She was the one freshman on that listing. The listing meant this: no matter it’s they need, in the end, they’ll do it.”

WATCH: The Clintons’ remarks on late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

The celebration of life was being held at Fallbrook Church. Thursday’s service was closed to the general public.

A closure on Walters Highway at Welington Parkway and Outdated Waters Highway continues into the afternoon. Drivers can take Veterans Memorial and T.C. Jester as an alternate route.

Jackson Lee obtained her political begin in Houston as a municipal courtroom decide and served on town council. She then represented Texas’s 18th congressional district for practically three a long time and is credited with renewing the Violence Towards Girls Act and sponsoring the invoice that made Juneteenth a federal vacation.

She died on July 19, just a bit over a month after saying that she’d been recognized with pancreatic most cancers. Jackson Lee was 74 years previous.

She was additionally a spouse and mother. Her husband, Elwyn Lee, spoke at a neighborhood appreciation service on Wednesday night time.

He mentioned he remembers as soon as when a storm hit Houston, he thought she would keep residence as a result of the water was so excessive, however as a substitute, she had a fireplace truck come to select her up so they might go assist individuals.

“I mentioned, ‘What are you doing?’ She will get on the fireplace truck, they go off, they deviate from their authentic route as a result of any individual let her know any individual wanted rescuing, so that they go and rescue them. And in a while, the following day I see her out on a ship in a flooded neighborhood,” Lee remembered.

Earlier this week, President Joe Biden visited Houston to pay his respects to Jackson Lee as she lied in state on the Houston Metropolis Corridor rotunda.

He left this message within the guestbook:

“Fearless, proud, and daring. Could God bless an expensive pal and nice American. Could God bless you, Sheila Jackson Lee.”

Nationwide and worldwide dignitaries have been out and in of Houston all week, and safety is high of thoughts.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee lies in state at Metropolis Corridor as a part of companies honoring life

Secret Service, federal, state, and native regulation enforcement had been by the lots on Monday night time when Biden paid his respects.

“It is an enormous occasion and it will be multilayers and multi-subjects that should be protected,” James Conway, a counterterrorism skilled and former member of the FBI, mentioned. “Issues are actually heightened whenever you mix that with the risk matrix which can be on the market on this planet. You possibly can relaxation assured that safety companies and safety groups can be at their upmost.”

The Houston Police Division, the Division of Public Security, the Secret Service, and different businesses had been seen in massive numbers throughout Biden’s go to.

“Thursday can be actually the time when safety companies can be at their highest vigilance since you’ll have a number of motion and you are going to have motion throughout town and that all the time complicates issues,” Conway mentioned.

Companies didn’t discuss their plans, so it’s unclear what number of regulation enforcement officers from each stage of presidency had been aiding in retaining the companies and town protected as so many honored the late congresswoman.

SEE ALSO: Houston below heightened safety as dignitaries together with Pres. Biden and VP Harris descend on metropolis