WASHINGTON – Rep. Sheila Jackson LeeD-Texas, announced Sunday that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment.
Jackson Lee said it is “likely” she will be “absent from Congress from time to time,” but she assured her district, which includes part of Houston, that her office “will continue to provide the essential services you deserve and expected’.
“I am confident that my doctors have developed the best possible plan to address my specific illness,” she said in a press release on X. “The road ahead will not be easy, but I am confident that God will strengthen me.”
Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, and other representatives have recently faced health issues that affected their attendance. In August, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced that he was being treated for cancer. He was also absent from time to time as he recovered from treatment.
Jackson Lee, who has served in the House of Representatives since 1995, serves on the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Budget committees.
“Please keep me and my family in your prayers as you always have,” she said in the release. “Know that you will stay in mine.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
