WATCH: Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Says The Moon Is 'Made Up Mostly Of Gases'

On Monday, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) joined members of her community in Houston at Booker T. Washington High School to witness the total solar eclipse that traversed the United States and lasted about four minutes. Before the eclipse, however, Jackson Lee, a member of the House Science Committee and the Ranking Member on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, made several comments that raised eyebrows.

"And sometimes you heard the word full moon. Sometimes we need to take the opportunity to come out and see a full moon is at complete rounded circle which is made up mostly of gases," the congresswoman absurdly claimed. Anyone who has taken an astronomy class knows that the moon isn't made up of gases, like the planets of Jupiter or Saturn, but it would seem that the Democrat representative skipped that day of class. One would think that Rep. Jackson Lee, who was born in 1950, would have been able to witness the first moon landing in 1969 when she attended Yale University. Clearly, her Ivy League education didn't pay off.

"So the question is why or how we as humans can live on the moon? Are the gases such that we can do that," the congresswoman continued. "The sun is a mighty powerful heat and it is almost impossible to go near the sun. The moon is more manageable. And you will see in a moment, not a moment, in a couple of years that NASA is going back to the moon."

Rep. Jackson Lee also took to X to brag about creating the opportunity for the high school students to see the eclipse, writing, "Today, I created the opportunity to see a unique science and solar experience for the students at Booker T. Washington High School. As a former member of the Science Committee and former Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Committee, this was an irreplaceable moment in history. There should be more opportunities to introduce science to our diverse and vulnerable communities!"

Following her remarks, Jackson Lee faced significant mockery from social media, with journalist Kyle Becker writing, "Congresswoman/Astrophysicist Sheila Jackson Lee tells Americans the moon is made out of "gases" and the sun is "almost" too hot for us to go near. Here is your elected leadership, America. Don't wonder why the country is going to hell. This is why."

Despite the controversy surrounding Rep. Jackson Lee's comments, the high school students who participated in the viewing were thrilled at the rare full solar eclipse. "Many remarked 'this is the first time I've ever seen this' as they made their way to the field," Rep. Jackson Lee wrote on X. "One student was overjoyed to get a perfect shot of the eclipse with her camera!" 

WATCH:

Our Best & Brightest: Rep Sheila Jackson Lee has become a multimillionaire serving her constituents in Congress. Listen to her explain the composition of the moon: pic.twitter.com/JyKfqnfMWq

— @amuse (@amuse) April 9, 2024

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