Powerful GOP Congressman's Daughter Dies in Her Sleep Less than a Month Before He Is Set to Retire

Many politicians and lawmakers offered condolences to Texas Rep. Michael Burgess upon the news of his daughter Christine's death

Rachel Raposas
·2 min read
Rod Lamkey/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty, Michael Burgess/V Congressman Michael Burgess and his daughter Christine

Rod Lamkey/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty, Michael Burgess/V

Congressman Michael Burgess and his daughter Christine

Texas Rep. Michael Burgess announced that his eldest daughter, Christine Burgess, died as he closes out his final term in Congress.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Dec. 9, the Republican congressman's office stated that Christine died in her sleep over the weekend, though no additional details were provided.

"Congressman Burgess appreciates all of the thoughts & prayers & respectfully requests privacy for his family at this difficult time," the statement read.

Related: Congresswoman and Mom of 2 Speaks Candidly About Her Incurable Brain Disease: 'I'm Too Young for This' (Exclusive)

ADVERTISEMENT

Burgess, 73, has represented the north Dallas area in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. He currently chairs the Rules Committee, and prior to his election, he practiced as a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology.

Upon hearing the unexpected news of his daughter's death, fellow lawmakers offered their condolences to Burgess.

"It is with deep sadness that we share the tragic news about the passing of Congressman Burgess' beloved daughter, Christine," wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson in a post on X. "Our hearts and our prayers go out to our dear friend and colleague and his family at this very difficult time."

"Jill and I are saddened to learn of the passing of @michaelcburgess’s daughter, Christine. Please join us in praying for the entire Burgess family during this incredibly difficult time," said fellow Texas Rep. Troy Nehls in a post on X.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related: Ethel Kennedy Laid to Rest Next to Husband RFK 1 Month After Her Death

Burgess opted not to run for reelection in 2024 and is set to finish his work in the House this month before a new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

He was recently honored for his years of service by the House Rules Committee on Dec. 5, when his portrait was added to the U.S. Capitol Rules Committee hearing room, according to his official House of Representatives site.

“I am beyond grateful and honored for the opportunity of a lifetime to serve as the Representative of the 26th Congressional district for the past 22 years,” he said at the portrait unveiling. “Reflecting on my time in Congress, I am filled with gratitude and appreciation for the people that surrounded me and the impactful legacy we have created together for North Texans."

Read the original article on People

Latest Stories

  • Trump’s Meme Coin Immediately Crashes After Melania’s Cryptocurrency Launch

    Incoming first lady Melania Trump has joined her husband in the crypto game, launching her own “meme coin” over the weekend. But just hours after the new digital currency went live Sunday, her husband’s suffered a precipitous crash of more than 40 percent, according to Forbes—leading many to connect Melania’s new project to the decline of her husband’s. Announcing the news on X Sunday evening, Melania posted a black-and-white photo of herself smiling with her hands clasped together and wrote, “T

  • Trump to Declare National Energy Emergency, Unlocking New Powers

    (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Donald Trump is poised to invoke emergency powers as part of his plan to unleash domestic energy production while seeking to reverse President Joe Biden’s actions to combat climate change, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from BloombergHow Sanctuary Cities Are Preparing for Another Showdown With TrumpNYC Commuters Get New Way to Dodge Traffic: $95 Helicopter RidesWhat LA’s Fires Mean for the City’s Housing ShortageDeadly Landslide of Garbage

  • 'Shock and awe': Trump plans 100 immediate executive actions. Here's what could be coming.

    Donald Trump intends to start his second White House term by unleashing more than 100 executive orders and directives.

  • 4 Things the Middle Class Likely Won’t Be Able To Afford Once Trump Takes Office

    President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office for a second time on Jan. 20, and big changes are expected due to his proposed policies. While he has promised the country a shift in the economy, it...

  • Lindsey Graham Berates CBS Host for Tough Questions: ‘Worry About Reporting the News Fairly’

    Republican senator and Donald Trump ally Lindsey Graham blasted CBS Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan after she questioned him on the incoming Trump administration’s threats against journalists. Brennan had been interrogating Graham on whether he endorsed Kash Patel to become the next FBI director despite several questions raised by US lawyers and national security veterans who have worked with him. When the CBS host asked Graham whether he would be asking Patel about his threats against journa

  • Exclusive-German ambassador warns of Trump plan to redefine constitutional order, document shows

    BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's ambassador to the United States has warned that the incoming Trump administration will rob U.S. law enforcement and the media of their independence and hand big tech companies "co-governing power", according to a confidential document seen by Reuters. The briefing document, dated Jan. 14 and signed by Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, describes Donald Trump's agenda for his second White House term as one of "maximum disruption" that will bring about "a redefinition of the constitutional order - maximum concentration of power with the president at the expense of Congress and the federal states." "Basic democratic principles and checks and balances will be largely undermined, the legislature, law enforcement and media will be robbed of their independence and misused as a political arm, Big Tech will be given co-governing power," it says.

  • I Went To A Nudist Swingers Resort Without My Girlfriend. Here's What Happened.

    "What awaits a monogamous lesbian on vacation by herself with mostly heterosexual couples looking to play? A lot of fun."

  • Don Jr.’s Ex Kimberly Guilfoyle Tags Along With Him for Inauguration Festivities

    Donald Trump Jr. had an unexpected guest in tow as he made the rounds in Washington D.C. over the weekend ahead of his father’s inauguration. The eldest Trump child was spotted Saturday being trailed by his former fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, as he greeted former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro‘s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro and his wife, Heloísa Wol. The friendly exes were captured in a video posted to Eduardo’s Instagram stories, captioned “🇺🇸🤝🇧🇷 Time to celebrate buddy" and tagging Don Jr., who

  • Donald Trump’s pledge to ‘drill, baby, drill’ meets the reality of fracking in rural Pennsylvania

    Promises made by Donald Trump to unleash the fracking industry played a vital role in his fight to win Pennsylvania, a key battleground state in the 2024 US election. Despite the consequences the industry has had for the health of rural communities like Dimock in the north of the state, many residents continue to support the incoming president. A double yellow line marks the centre of Route 29, expanding at the top of each rolling hill that sweeps across the frozen landscape of northeast Pennsyl

  • Thousands gather in Washington to protest Trump inauguration

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Thousands of people gathered in Washington on Saturday to protest President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, as activists for women's rights, racial justice and other causes rallied against incoming policies they say will threaten their constitutional rights during the Republican's second term. Some in the crowd wore the pink hats that marked the much-larger protest against Trump's first inauguration in 2017.

  • Trump didn't wait to be sworn in to start breaking his campaign promises to you | Opinion

    It's been a while since you've heard Trump promise gas at less than $2 per gallon, right? That's usually a sign he's walking away from a promise.

  • Liz Truss Has Gone To Washington For Donald Trump's Inauguration And The Online Reaction Is Not Kind

    The short-lived prime minister said the new presidency "can't come soon enough".

  • Vance will make his mark as the first millennial vice president and the potential MAGA torchbearer

    NEW YORK (AP) — As he prepares to become the nation's first millennial vice president, JD Vance is already the presumptive heir to the “Make America Great Again” movement.

  • Trump says he will quickly release JFK, Robert Kennedy, MLK assassination files

    President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday he would release classified documents in the coming days related to the assassinations of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Trump, who returns to the White House on Monday, promised on the campaign trail to release classified intelligence and law enforcement files on the 1963 assassination of JFK, as America's 35th president is widely known. He had made a similar promise during his 2017 to 2021 term, and he did in fact release some documents related to JFK's 1963 slaying.

  • Canada to hold an unusual inauguration day party in Washington

    Some Donald Trump fans stopped to snap photos of an unexpected sight during their inauguration jaunt through downtown Washington, D.C."Canada congratulates Donald Trump," one exclaimed on Sunday, as he read the sign atop the Canadian Embassy flanked by enormous maple leaf flags off Pennsylvania Avenue."Think Justin Trudeau's up there?"No, the prime minister was not there. But more than 1,500 people may, indeed, be there attending Canada's quadrennial inauguration day party on Monday.This year's

  • Melania Trump Wears Dior to Wreath-laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

    The president-elect did not deliver any remarks before or after the event at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

  • Bannon Predicts ‘Criminal’ Zuckerberg Will ‘Flip’ on Trump

    Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has dubbed Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg a “criminal” and said he would be likely to betray the MAGA movement despite his recent efforts to woo the president-elect. The War Room podcast host told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on This Week that he saw Zuckerberg and other tech billionaires including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as “supplicants.” “They’re not there as the oligarchs,” he asserted in an interview that aired Sunday. “We had no power. President Trump wa

  • 'A Disgrace': The Pope Raises Holy Hell Over Trump's Biggest 'Day 1' Promise

    Pope Francis put the incoming administration on blast over an expected mass deportation program.

  • CNN Data Reporter Hits Joe Biden With A Harsh Truth In His Final Hours Of Office

    "My goodness gracious," Harry Enten said of one particular polling detail on the outgoing president.

  • Republicans set to give Trump big immigration win — while dividing Democrats

    Republicans are on the verge of giving President-elect Trump a big win on immigration to kick off his second term — and doing it with the help of Democrats while dividing the minority party on the hot-button issue. The GOP spent years pillorying the Biden administration for being weak on the border and immigration, with…