Sheila Jackson Lee… You are No Barbara Jordan

The 18th Congressional District has an interesting and colorful history. The first vote cast by its original representative John Jones was to approve the Declaration of War against Germany beginning World War I. Other notables serving this district include Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland and even my namesake, Congressman Bob Price of Pampa Texas. The district is currently represented by the infamous government-spender, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, Texas.

Originally a Texas Panhandle district, redistricting in the early 1970's moved Congressman Price to the 13th Congressional District and moved the 18th from an agricultural economy to the rapidly growing urban community of Houston, Texas where Barbara Jordan would become the first black woman to represent a southern state in Congress in January of 1973. She quickly rose to prominence during the House Judiciary Committee's hearings on the impeachment of Richard Nixon in 1974. Her speech before the committee as a freshman Congresswoman reveals her deep love for this country and it's Constitution and set the bar for what was to become her legendary service to the people of Houston and the entire nation.

She went on to put her political capital behind causes like the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 and renewing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to expand voting rights protection to members of the Hispanic community. Oddly, this legislation was opposed by Democrat Governor Dolph Briscoe and a future Democrat Governor, then Secretary of State, Mark White.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee now serves in the shadow of the greatness of Barbara Jordan. Ms. Lee's record of service to the district is somewhat more controversial and at times even more comedic than that of the legendary Jordan. This can be illustrated by her support of the "Cap and Trade" legislation that would cripple many of the businesses represented in her district and would raise the cost of living significantly to all who live in her district.

Sheila Jackson Lee's strong support of the Obama Healthcare Reform Bill will once again raise the burden of debt this nation will face and does little if anything to affect change to the rising cost of healthcare for businesses and individuals. The Texas Medical Center would most certainly be negatively affected by this government takeover of our healthcare system once again costing the Houston economy many high paying jobs.

Recently Sheila Jackson Lee attacked sovereignty of the state of Texas and its sole authority to determine budgetary spending on education by joining with Rep. Lloyd Doggett in requiring Texas to commit to outlandish education spending, bypassing the sole authority of the Texas Legislature to create said budget.

Lee's role on the House Science Committee's Space Subcommittee brought her to the Jet Propulsion Lab for a tour during the Mars Pathfinder Mission. Curiosity led her to ask the scientists if the MARS Rover had taken any pictures of the Flag left by Astronaut Neil Armstrong (on the moon). Perhaps this failure to remember history also explains her insistence on the House floor that there is still a North and South Vietnam living side by side together? While Jordan fought hard for equal rights to justice under the law, Ms. Lee tackled the nation's important discussion of the ethnicity of Hurricane names stating that hurricanes were too "lilly white" demanding that more "black names" be used. Do names represent a color?

While Jordan fought to expand voting rights to all minorities, Ms. Lee voted to waste $2B on the "Cash for Clunkers" program. In a quote enshrined at John W. Hargis Hall at the University of Texas in Austin, Barbara Jordan said, "I get from the soil and spirit of Texas the feeling that I, as an individual, can accomplish whatever I want to, and that there are no limits, that you can just keep going, just keep soaring."

Is this something Sheila Jackson Lee would say? No! Here she is flaunting the latest government handouts.

Ms. Lee says she has "the dishonor of being a member of Congress representing the state of Texas…" You can help relieve her of that dishonor. Whether you live in the district or not, in Texas or not, you can made a difference. Do you think the interests of the 18th Congressional District are represented well? Help Texans remove the dishonor Sheila Jackson Lee has brought upon the people of Houston, Texas and the United States of America!

To paraphrase former Senator Lloyd Bentsen, We all knew Barbara Jordan. Barbara Jordan was a friend and public servant to us all. Ms. Lee, You are no Barbara Jordan…