Washington, DC—Congresswoman Diane E. Watson issued the following statement today on the passing of House Ethics Committee Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio:

It is with a heavy heart that I express my condolences on the sudden passing of my dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, to her  family, the many who loved her, and her son, Mervyn Leroy Jones, II.  

Stephanie was a fighter with tremendous presence.  She stood up for the tens of thousands who could not stand up for themselves and fought for justice, equality, and opportunity for every American.  In her home state of Ohio and in her beloved city of Cleveland, she led the fight for election reform to ensure that every American’s vote is valued and counted. 

Stephanie was also loved and respected by her colleagues on Capitol Hill, where in relatively short order she was appointed the first, among her many firsts, African American woman to the prestigious Ways and Means Committee.  She also served as Chairwoman of the Committee on Ethics and made great strides to work across the aisle in a non-partisan manner.

I admired Stephanie’s enthusiasm for public service, her integrity, warmth, and intellect.  Her presence will be sorely missed and her shoes hard to fill.