Disability advocates mourn U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones

From the World Institute on Disability newsletter's EQUITY profile of the month:

The World Institute on Disability joins the nation in mourning the loss of long-time assets champion U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH). Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones. (The 58-year-old Tubbs Jones died Aug. 20 of a brain aneurysm.)

The daughter of an airport skycap, Tubbs Jones earned her law degree from Case Western Reserve University before serving eight years as a prosecutor and ten years as Cleveland municipal court judge. A five-term representative, she was first elected to the House in 1998 and had not faced serious opposition since, according to the Almanac of American Politics. Tubbs Jones chaired the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics) for the 110th Congress and also served on the Ways and Means Committee. She was appointed to the Ethics committee by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said she was "tough and smart" and would "provide steadfast and active leadership in a non-partisan and judicious way, holding members to the highest ethical standard."

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was a staunch advocate for many issues, but was well known for lending her voice to the areas of wealth building and economic development, access and delivery of health care, and quality education for all. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was an effective advocate at the forefront of issues regarding homeownership. She introduced legislation to stop predatory mortgage lending practices, recognizing the terrible harm caused by reckless and unethical lending, and stood up for more stringent protections for borrowers against abusive loans.

Representative Jones was also a lead sponsor of The Savings for Working Families Act—a bipartisan bill that would help families living on low incomes have their savings matched dollar-for-dollar through individual development accounts. Those accounts could be used to purchase a home, start a business, or attend college. It is a central piece of legislation in the promotion of asset building as a means to help working families build a sound financial footing.

As the first Black woman to represent Ohio in Congress, she was an active member the Congressional Black Caucus. In a 2007 interview with National Public Radio, Representative Tubbs Jones discussed the importance of African American participation in the political process, “When your at the table, that means your issues get addressed, if your not at the table, your issues do not get addressed. I bring the issues of African Americans to the table, but more than that, I want to bring the issues to the table that help all Americans.”

She was an ardent supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential primary bid, before switching to Sen. Barack Obama in June. Tubbs Jones had been planning to attend next week's Democratic National Convention in Denver as a super delegate.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) mourned the passing of his colleague in the House and Congressional Black Caucus. "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," Clyburn said in a statement. Not a stranger to the disability community, Representative Tubb Jones was a trail blazer for patient-centric health reform, always front and center for the kidney community, and played a pivotal role in recognizing the importance of much needed reform surrounding the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program for those suffering from kidney disease and kidney failure.

"The kidney community is deeply saddened about the news of Congresswoman Tubbs Jones' sudden passing yesterday," said Dr. Edward Jones, Chairman of KCP
and a practicing nephrologist. "Because of her tireless efforts, the millions of
Americans who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the millions more who are at
risk will have the resources to better manage their own healthcare. We thank her
for her support in strengthening kidney care and all her work on our behalf. Her
loss will be felt across the entire community."

Sources:
The Associated Press http://www.ap.org/
NPR http://www.npr.org/
Fox news www.foxnews.com/politics