Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is facing backlash after a video of her making an erroneous statement about the moon was released. During an eclipse-viewing event with students, Jackson Lee stated that the moon was mostly made up of gases and that it was possible for humans to live on the moon.
Critics were quick to point out that Jackson Lee, who serves on both the House Science and Space committees, had made a factually incorrect statement. The congresswoman had been explaining the eclipse to students when she made the error.
“Obviously, I misspoke and meant to say the sun,” Jackson Lee said in an interview with X post after the video went viral. “But as usual, Republicans are focused on stupid things instead of stuff that really matters.”
Jackson Lee went on to list a variety of issues that she believes should be given more attention, including prenatal care and student loan debt reduction.
They should be focusing on issues like prenatal care, building more affordable housing, and more reduction of student loan debt as President Joe Biden is.
— Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) April 9, 2024
The congresswoman also argued that the video, and subsequent criticism, detracted from the students’ experience of the eclipse. “I care more about these children who would not have experienced the eclipse in this enthusiastic manner,” Jackson Lee said. “And, I care more about protecting the rights of women and children than engaging in this kind of senseless dialogue.”
Critics, however, have called for accountability from Jackson Lee, pointing to her position on science committees and public statements on various issues as evidence of her apparent lack of knowledge. “She was on both the House Science and Space committees. Seriously. She represents a city that is one of the homes for NASA. It’s called ‘space city’ for a reason. Vote better, people,” Robert Patrick Lewis, author and podcaster, wrote on social media.
Others, like Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, criticized Jackson Lee’s explanation and suggested that her excuse only made her statement seem even more outlandish. “So her excuse is that she didn’t mean to say that dumb thing. She actually meant to say a much dumber thing. Either way, this woman has the IQ of a strawberry,” Walsh tweeted.
Sheila Jackson Lee said that the Moon is made up of gases but we can live on it because the gases are “manageable.” Now she claims she was talking about the Sun, which would mean that she thinks we can live on the Sun. So her excuse is that she didn’t mean to say that dumb thing.… https://t.co/iquRHyNQIo
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 10, 2024
Jackson Lee has been known to make controversial statements in the past, including calling for a $4 trillion appropriation to combat issues related to climate change. Her statement about the moon also comes at a time when space exploration and colonizing other planets has become a topic of increasing interest and discussion among the scientific community.
It remains to be seen how Jackson Lee’s comments will affect her reputation and future political endeavors. However, many have called for her to be held accountable for her factual error and to prioritize her role in science committees to educate and inform the public accurately.
