Washington, D.C. – Rep. Elijah Cummings, the powerful House Democrat who represented Baltimore for more than two decades and was a vocal critic of President Trump, died early Thursday after battling health problems, his office and family said.
Cummings, who was 68, died at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate. As chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he was one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, and played a key role in the House Democrats’ ongoing efforts to impeach Trump.
Tributes poured in Thursday from lawmakers and others in politics on both sides of the aisle.
“I was shocked and saddened to learn the news this morning of my dear friend’s passing,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a fellow Maryland Democrat, said in a statement. “Elijah Cummings was a man of principle, patriotism, and conviction, whose loss will be deeply felt throughout the State of Maryland and our country.”
At the White House, the flag was lowered to half-staff.
“My warmest condolences to the family and many friends of Congressman Elijah Cummings,” Trump tweeted. “I got to see first hand the strength, passion and wisdom of this highly respected political leader. His work and voice on so many fronts will be very hard, if not impossible, to replace!”
Cummings’ office said in a brief statement that he died “due to complications concerning longstanding health challenges.” Cummings had been in ill health the past few years, navigating the Capitol in a motorized cart and using a walker.
“He worked until his last breath because he believed our democracy was the highest and best expression of our collective humanity,” his wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, said Thursday.
Cummings’ office said in a brief statement that he died “due to complications concerning longstanding health challenges.” Cummings had been in ill health the past few years, navigating the Capitol in a motorized cart and using a walker.
“He worked until his last breath because he believed our democracy was the highest and best expression of our collective humanity,” his wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, said Thursday.
Cummings did not return to work after an undisclosed medical procedure that he said would only keep him away for about a week. The New York Times reported that Cummings had heart surgery in 2017 and had a bacterial infection in his knee.
Cummings was known for driving himself back and forth from Baltimore and Washington — sometimes multiple times a day — to make committee hearings, floor votes and attend to issues in his district.
In the House, Cummings built a substantial power base. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the influential House Oversight Committee and a leading voice in the Congressional Black Caucus. He played a key role in the impeachment inquiry into Trump.
However, Cummings had not been seen the past few weeks at closed-door interviews, alongside House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel. However, every subpoena, document request or statement which was issued on impeachment of late was done in the name of all three committee chairs. New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney is next in seniority to take over the gavel of the committee.
Cummings, a sharecropper’s son and one of seven children, led multiple investigations of the president’s governmental dealings, including probes in 2019 relating to the president’s family members serving in the White House.
He clashed with Trump after the president criticized his district as a “rodent-infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.”
Cummings replied that government officials must stop making “hateful, incendiary comments” that only serve to divide and distract the nation from its real problems, including mass shootings and white supremacy.
“Those in the highest levels of the government must stop invoking fear, using racist language and encouraging reprehensible behavior,” Cummings said in a speech at the National Press Club.
Credit: Fox News
RIP
Hope he rots in HELL!
Scott Therrien How Mature
Kelly Renee Costa scumbags deserve to rot in hell, hope Al Sharpton rots in Hell also.
Yes there is a god
He must have had dirt on the Clinton’s
Putting aside our true feelings let us all take the high ground on this topic. It’s a sad loss for the family. Let’s not give any fodder to the haters. IMHO.
Tim Reid exactly right, this isn’t something to laugh about of joke about it’s a human life period. Just because he isn’t on my side of the aisle that’s no excuse. This is what’s lost in politics and what politicans are making people feel like. It’s very sad they don’t see it.
R.I.P.
Ocean County Scanner News you have some classy followers. RIP Rep Cummings.
Jeffrey Ashmen awww boo hoo.
Jeffrey Ashmen exactly right, this isn’t something to laugh about of joke about it’s a human life period. Just because he isn’t on my side of the aisle that’s no excuse. This is what’s lost in politics and what politicans are making people feel like. It’s very sad they don’t see it.
This guy robbed the people of his Baltimore. Not sure many there feel the same as you. Wonder how many lives his robbing caused
Jeffrey Ashmen So True
Sad part is hes gonna be voting still next year
Guess God impeached this thief
Hope a republican gets in
Fear caught up with his lying ass.
May he rest in eternal hell!
Yoga. Booga. Dooga.
Be at peace…
This man was so filled with hate that it literally consumed him!
Sweet how many more Democrats to go?
Tick tock Ginsburg.
Larry Trainor no chucky, Nancy, Bernie, creepy uncle joe, Elizabeth
So many classless assholes.
I guess he never cleaned up Baltimore. Hope the voters demand change!
Hopefully the suffering people of Baltimore will get help from an honest leader
Hey I squandered billions of dollars lets impeach the president.
Listen people I’m a huge Trump supporter but I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on he was still a human being and his family deserves respect. This is what this country has lost because of politicans and their behavior, ALL OF THEM. I refuse to stoop to the level of moron sheep that only spew hate because you don’t believe or have the same opinion as me. RIP Mr Cummings and prayers for you and your family.
He made us wait long enough
Hell gained another demon. Say hi to Mcain for me
Before Liberal yelled about all the negativity that conservatives say if this was Trump you’d all be throwing a very large party. So save your hate and tears when we win next year. And everyone now that he’s dead says he was a good person you people are a lying piece of s**t.
Nancy Seebeth Derby you are so right they would be
Nancy Seebeth Derby I sure bet the Kurds would be.
Nancy Seebeth Derby right on target
RIP.
Everyone commenting seems pleasant
So. Very Interesting. I did some research. I got about 1/2 way thru posts. EVERY negative comments…The People all have 1 thing in common!!!! Guess what that is? May you all burn in hell. Really just lovely Role Models you are. I guess your parents forgot to teach you, esp. at a time of a Families loss; IF YOU DONT HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY, DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. STAY SILENT AND MOVE ON.
Esther Colando your right and Mr Cummings had nothing nice to say about President Trump . So he should have not said a thing.
Teresa Jasinski good thinking
Esther Colando are we Jews from Lakewood?
Teresa Jasinski Trump thinking. But I guess that’s all u know. Very sad. Hope u have no kids.
Key role my ass. Good scapegoat tho. This guy died with strings still attached
Poster guy for term limits, no hate just truth
God bless him and his family, and I hope he took comfort knowing trump was still president when he passed.
God is good
Wonder what he had on clinton?
One less 4 to go
God bless
Trump was his final president.
Crook
Hated his politics but RIP
RIP Elijah. Thanks for your service to our nation
Have 2 wonderful adults with their own options, FYI ones a Democratic they got them at GCU in Lakewood. Those Liberal thinking professors. Now they regret listening to the professors.
Teresa Jasinski what is your point? What does it have to do with Cummings death??
Term limits would be voting, there is no need for term limits if you vote and the person with the most votes wins
Germaine Barnes unless it’s rigged. This guy only made himself and family rich. Baltimore is a horrible city after years of his “Service”
Walter Allen everything is rigged unless you rig right???
Baltimore is not a horrible city, stop parroting trump billshit please
Gods taking the crazy liberal/Demecrats one by one all the others will be in prison soon ….thank you God
Some of your replies show your I.Q level.
RIP to a great politician, great man. And one of the last truly honest men.
Draining the swamp
Hmmmm, nobody will accuse Hillary for this one…..lmao
So sad
It’s sad that someone died, regardless of the extreme difference in political opinion we have, still a human- someone’s son.
Someone really put a ? face? Over someone’s death? Wow….
Trump had him killed
#trumpbodycount