Longtime Texas Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson dies at 88

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U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, one of the crucial distinguished Democrats from the Dallas space, died on Sunday at the age of 88. 

The Dallas Morning News additionally confirmed her loss of life with an unnamed supply near the household. No reason behind loss of life was given.

Johnson was born in Waco and grew up within the segregated South. Dallas’ once-segregated Union Station was renamed in her honor in 2019. 

She served within the U.S. House for 3 many years after turning into the primary registered nurse elected to Congress and the primary Black chief psychiatric nurse at Dallas’ Veterans Affairs hospital. 

Eddie Bernice Johnson speaking at a podium

U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, introduces state Sen. Royce West at a rally the place West introduced his bid to run for the U.S. Senate, in Dallas, Monday, July 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Johnson went on to turn out to be the primary Black lady to chair the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and she or he additionally led the Congressional Black Caucus. She left workplace in January after repeatedly delaying her retirement. Before Congress, she served within the Texas legislature.

Her personal expertise with racism helped spur her to become involved in politics. She recalled that officers at the VA hospital had been shocked that she was Black after they employed her sight-unseen, in order that they rescinded their supply for her to dwell in a dorm on campus. 

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President Biden mentioned Johnson was a “dedicated nurse, state legislator, and longtime U.S. congresswoman with immense courage and a commitment to the promise of America.”

Biden hailed her “immense courage” and referred to as her “an icon and mentor to generations of public servants, through whom her legacy of resilience and purpose will endure.”

“For three decades, Chairwoman Johnson was a powerful force in the United States Congress, always focused on the future,” House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi mentioned in an announcement, praising Johnson as “a tenacious trailblazer, a talented legislator and a devoted public servant.”

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford mentioned Johnson was additionally “a fierce advocate for expanding STEM opportunities to Black and minority students” who additionally performed a key function in serving to the Biden administration cross a significant bundle of incentives for pc chip producers.

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“She was the single most effective legislator Dallas has ever had,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson mentioned in an announcement. “Nobody brought more federal infrastructure money home to our city. Nobody fought harder for our communities and our residents’ interests and safety. And nobody knew how to navigate Washington better for the people of Dallas.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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