Congress and the Wider Political World React to Elijah Cummings' Passing

Justin Kirkland
Photo credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS - Getty Images
Photo credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS - Getty Images

From Esquire

Early Thursday morning, Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings died at age 68 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland after a series of health issues in recent years. A force within Congress and politics at large, he represented his Baltimore community in the House of Representatives for over 20 years. Before that, Representative Cummings served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 13 years, building a powerful political legacy as a defender of civil and voting rights.

As news broke Thursday morning, Representative Cummings' passing proved that, on rare occasions, both sides of the aisle can come together. Colleagues inside of Congress and out issued statements of remembrance and condolences to the congressman's family. Cummings had struggled with his health for some time: he underwent aortic valve surgery that led to a subsequent infection in 2017, and ongoing health issues prevented him from participating in a role call since September of this year.

In his final years, Representative Cummings was a fierce opponent to Trump and the GOP, challenging Congress to perform its oversight role and check the president's power. Known for his speaking ability, particularly on the House floor, Cummings helped highlight the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention. After Democrats retook the House in 2018, he chaired the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that often pressed the the White House for some measure of transparency and accountability. Even still, there's been an outpouring of support from both his Democratic and Republican colleagues, proof of the respect he's earned over his decades of service.

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