CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
– CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS
Updated Aug. 21, 2008 – 6:20 a.m.
Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones Dies Following Aneurysm
By Catharine Richert, Jonathan Allen and Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones died Wednesday after suffering an aneurysm, according to officials at the hospital where she was being treated. She was 58.
Jones suffered an aneurysm late Tuesday while driving, which caused a brain hemorrhage and left her with “very limited brain function” during the day Wednesday, according to officials at Huron Hospital in East Cleveland, Ohio.
Joyce Persaud, spokeswoman for the hospital, said only that Tubbs Jones died at 6:12 p.m., as a result of the aneurysm.
A joint statement by Tubbs Jones’ family, Huron Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic said:
“Throughout the course of the day and into this evening, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones’ medical condition declined.”
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland said, “She was a wonderful Democrat. A very able legislator. She had a very difficult committee to chair being ethics. You can’t say anything and because of that, you get criticized by people. She was conscientious. She was very helpful, generally, in being able to create a consensus when dealing with legislation.”
Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington, ranking member on the House ethics panel, agreed.
“Having had the honor of serving with Stephanie for the past several years on the House Ethics Committee, I witnessed her commitment and passion for public service up close.
“Her enthusiasm, tenacity and energy will be missed by me, the House Ethics Committee and the entire Congress. We have all suffered a great loss,” Hastings added.
Tubbs Jones, a Democrat who has represented Ohio’s 11th District since 1999 and was chairwoman of the House’s ethics committee, was scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention next week as a superdelegate.
Tubbs Jones is the first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
She was among the five black members who claimed committee chairmanships when the Democrats ascended to the majority in 2007.
House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn of South Carolina said he was “stunned by the news today of the passing of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones . There is a great gap where she stood on behalf of affordable health care, women’s issues, access to quality education and fairness in voting.
Ohio Rep. Tubbs Jones Dies Following Aneurysm
“Whether you were a presidential candidate, a colleague debating on the floor or a friend passing time, you wanted her on your team for her quick legal mind, tenacious debating skills, her infectious humor and that thousand watt smile. My heart is heavy.”
Tubbs Jones’s death means that the ethics chairmanship might be filled by Gene Green of Texas, the second-ranking Democrat on the panel.
A longtime ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., and a robust fundraiser for the party, Tubbs Jones was tapped for the ethics chairmanship instead of Alan B. Mollohan of West Virginia, who was the senior Democrat on the panel but had come under fire for questionable personal financial dealings.
Tubbs Jones also was a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax, trade and health care policy. She got the seat in 2003 by publicly protesting that the panel had no African-American woman.
It was unclear who might be given Tubbs Jones’ seat on Ways and Means.
She was expected to win re-election easily in November over Republican Thomas Pekarek. She was renominated without opposition in the Democratic primary in March.
Ohio election law calls for Democratic officials in Cuyahoga County to nominate a candidate to fill the vacancy on the general election ballot.
A Democrat would likely succeed Tubbs Jones; she represented a majority-black district that gave President Bush just 18 percent of the vote in the 2004 election.
Michael Teitelbaum contributed to this story.
First posted Aug. 20, 2008 1:06 p.m.
Comments
RIP Congressmember Jones. Thank you for being a great individual and trying to elect Democrats to save this country!
A true Democrat and a patriot. God's speed.
This is a sad day for Ohio. We've lost a good woman and a good Representative. But hey, we've still got the beloved Jean Schmidt. Sigh.
She was a courageous woman, I am so sad to hear of her passing. My heart goes out to her family, friends and colleagues. To anyone who feels the need to turn the death of a human being into political fodder, please do yourself a favor and choose to be a better person.
Thanking you for all of your years of Service to the people of this Nation.
The past week has been saddened by the unexpected passing of three noteworthy human beings who contributed to the shaping of our society, Bernie Mac, Issac Hays and now Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. This awareness really is sobering in the midst of all of the politcal debacle. Life is not guaranteed to any of us tomorrow. I extend my deepest condolences to Senator Tubbs Jones family. It is my hope that we put forth honorable efforts to unify as individuals and as a country without all of the cynical and morbid rhetoric and actions. Peace and Unity, Muchita
thanks to all who wrote to say that the reports we had of Congresswoman Tubbs Jones' death were not correct. There have been conflicting reports and we have changed our story and will udpate with developments as they occur.
I pray she recovers fully!
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