Sheila Jackson Lee Becomes Third Democrat Arrested By Capitol Police After ‘Voting Rights’ Protest

Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee was arrested Thursday by Capitol Police during a protest at the Hart Senate Office Building.

Lee, a Representative from Texas, was protesting to pressure Congress to eliminate the filibuster and nationalize election law.

“I will NEVER stop fighting for Voting Rights!” the congresswoman tweeted. “The time is NOW to move the voting rights bills in the US Senate forward!! Enough is enough.”

The message was accompanied by an image of Lee being escorted away by police with zip ties around her wrists.

I will NEVER stop fighting for Voting Rights! The time is NOW to move the voting rights bills in the US Senate forward!! Enough is enough. #GoodTrouble pic.twitter.com/XmwNrjgpuX

— Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) July 29, 2021

RELATED: Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty Arrested After She Led Protesters Into Senate Building

Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee Arrested

Lee now becomes the third Democrat to be arrested at the Senate office building in an effort to protest in support of nationalized election law.

She tagged her protest with the hashtag ‘#GoodTrouble,’ a reference to the late congressman John Lewis, who was beaten on ‘Bloody Sunday’ while demonstrating for actual voting rights.

Purely coincidentally, exactly one week earlier, Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) was arrested protesting for what they are dubbing ‘voting rights.’

Johnson also compared himself to John Lewis.

“I was arrested today protesting against Senate inaction on voting rights legislation [and] filibuster reform,” he tweeted.

“In the spirit of my dear friend and mentor – the late Congressman John Lewis – I was getting in #goodtrouble.”

.@BlackCaucus I was arrested today protesting against Senate inaction on voting rights legislation & filibuster reform. In the spirit of my dear friend and mentor – the late Congressman John Lewis – I was getting in #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/JjN51mRpaC

— Rep. Hank Johnson (@RepHankJohnson) July 22, 2021

And, if you can believe that, exactly one week prior to that, Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was also arrested when she led a group of protesters into a Senate office building.

Let the people vote. Fight for justice. pic.twitter.com/JnEUPl9KJW

— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) July 15, 2021

RELATED: Another Democrat Rep. Arrested By Capitol Police For Protest At Senate Office Building

Not An Insurrection

If the congressional members being arrested outside or leading protesters through a Senate office building were Republicans instead of Democrats, I wonder what the media reaction would be.

Jim Jordan joining protesters wearing MAGA hats to interrupt official business on Capitol grounds? 24/7 news cycle peppered with references to the so-called “insurrection.”

Following her release, Lee posted a video in which she bragged about her arrest and urged the passage of the ‘For The People Act’ in Congress.

I engaged in civil disobedience today in the spirit of John Lewis in front of the Senate Hart Building and was arrested. #GoodTrouble pic.twitter.com/1CTpfiIQeu

— Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) July 29, 2021

Each of these Democrats is trying to portray Republican election integrity bills as racist, linking their actions to civil rights efforts and being sure to draw attention to the fact that they are black men or women being arrested.

Sheila Jackson Lee earlier this year introduced gun control legislation that would create a national firearm registry and make it illegal to possess a firearm without a license.

She’s been pivotal in advancing a bill that would establish a commission to study reparations and consider a national apology for slavery.