Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a eulogy at the funeral of former Democratic Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in Houston on Thursday following the congresswoman's battle with cancer.
The mantle of consoler in chief is usually filled by the president. President Joe Biden routinely speaks about his own personal history of loss at events like these, and arguably the most memorable recent presidential eulogy came during a memorial service for the victims of 2015's racially motivated mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where former President Barack Obama led the congregation in singing "Amazing Grace."
But Harris and Jackson Lee, both members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, had developed a close personal friendship during their shared time in Congress, and the vice president personally voiced her desire to "pay her respects" in person, according to the White House. The pair notably collaborated on legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Harris stepped into the role of likely 2024 Democratic presidential nominee just over two weeks ago and has seen both her national campaign and official White House appearances rapidly increase over that time frame.
Biden visited with Lee's family and offered his own condolences earlier this week during a trip to Texas, where he also announced a trio of proposed reforms to the Supreme Court.
Harris opened her marks by calling Jackson Lee a "fierce champion for justice" and a "dear friend" before thanking her family for the support "that allowed her to give so much to our country."
"Everything she did, Sheila Jackson Lee worked with all her heart," Harris continued. "She truly was a force of nature."
After recounting Jackson Lee's legislative legacy, Harris did suffer one slight slip of the tongue, drawing laughs from the crowd.
"It was Sheila Jackson Lee whose bill made Juneteenth a federal holiday, which as a United States senator I was proud to co-sponsor, and then as president — vice president," she quickly corrected herself as attendees chuckled. "It was my honor with our president, Joe Biden, to stand beside congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as our president signed her bill into law."
Harris closed by reiterating Jackson Lee's legacy as a "change maker."
"To honor her 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," she concluded. "And, Sheila, we are going to miss you dearly. We will carry your spirit with us every day in all the work that we have ahead."
Thursday's eulogy wasn't Harris's first time offering hope to a grieving community. She spoke at the 2023 funeral for Tyre Nichols, a black man killed by police in Memphis, Tennessee, and delivered similar remarks in 2022 following the mass shooting at a grocery store in a black neighborhood of Buffalo, New York.
Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Lee was beloved by not only her family and constituents in Texas but also her colleagues in Washington, D.C.
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"We lift her up and we honor her, not just her legislative action but obviously honor the work that she has been able to do and what she has meant to so many," Jean-Pierre stated.
You can watch Harris's remarks in full below.
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