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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released statements after the death of Dallas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who died Sunday at the age of 89.
Former U.S. Rep. Johnson, who spent decades as North Texas’ most powerful Democrat, endorsed Biden for president in 2019, and joined an early vote rally in Fair Park in Oct. 2020.
President Biden’s statement, in part, on the passing of the former Congresswoman:
“Eddie Bernice Johnson was a dedicated nurse, state legislator, and longtime U.S. congresswoman with immense courage and a commitment to the promise of America. She had unwavering dedication to the people of North Texas. She and I worked together throughout her 30 years in Congress, and I’ve always been grateful for her friendship and partnership.
Eddie Bernice turned a childhood dream to work in medicine into a lifetime of service, fighting to get millions of Americans access to healthcare, education, and opportunity.“
Biden added, “Recently, her leadership was crucial in passing our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and CHIPS and Science Act in 2022, creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and making sure America leads the industries of the future.
Throughout her life, and as the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, she was an icon and mentor to generations of public servants, through whom her legacy of resilience and purpose will endure.
Jill and I send our love to her family, including her son Kirk and her grandchildren Kirk Jr, David, and James; to her many friends; and to the people of Texas’ 30th Congressional District, who were so fortunate to have her as their champion for so long.”
Vice President Harris wrote in a statement that Johnson was a “visionary, a pioneer, and a fighter. At a young age, she witnessed and experienced the profound effects of segregation and decided she would not stay on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She would go on to have a trailblazing career — from becoming the first Black chief psychiatric nurse at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Hospital and the first Black woman elected to public office in Dallas, to serving in the state legislature, becoming the first Black person to represent Dallas in Congress, and making history as the first registered nurse elected to the House of Representatives.
Throughout her long career in public service, she was always clear-eyed about what she was fighting for: the right of every person in Dallas and across the country to live free from discrimination and to have the opportunity to live up to their full potential.
As the first person of color and woman to chair the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, she played an instrumental role in the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, which is making historic investments in our economy, innovation, and HBCUs.”
Vice President Harris said she and Johnson served together in the Congressional Black Caucus and that she and her husband, Doug, “are thinking of Congresswoman Johnson, her family, her community, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and all of those whose lives she impacted.”