Harris to attend funeral of longtime friend and sorority sister Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Vice President Kamala Harris will fly to Houston on Thursday to attend funeral services for longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who died this month after a battle with cancer, according to an official who shared the details first with NBC News.

The official from Harris’ office said Harris and Jackson Lee were dear friends who bonded over their work as elected officials and as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s first historically Black sorority. As a result, Harris wanted to attend the services despite having a packed schedule now that she is the front-runner to become the Democratic nominee.

“She wanted to make sure that she was there to pay her respects,” the official said of Harris.

The official also said Harris connected with Jackson Lee on shared legislative goals both while Harris served in the Senate and when she became vice president, including reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, ensuring clean water and removing lead pipes from communities, allocating funding for historically Black colleges and universities, and focusing on disparities related to maternal health, especially as it relates to Black women.

The official also said the two worked together on making Juneteenth a federal holiday and on efforts to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a police reform bill that has been stalled.

In statement released at the time of Jackson Lee’s death, Harris described Jackson Lee as a “tenacious advocate for justice and a tireless fighter for the people of Houston and the people of America” who “distinguished herself as a dedicated advocate for her community, an effective legislator, and a fiercely loyal colleague and friend.” She also said Jackson Lee was “first and foremost, a leader