Michael Cohen hearing: Who is Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight Committee?

WASHINGTON – It was Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings who had the final word in the Michael Cohen hearings on Wednesday.

Cummings, who presided over the congressional hearing featuring Donald Trump's former attorney, used the closing moments of the hearing to ask that lawmakers take action to "keep our democracy intact."

He did so by pointing out that Trump had previously called Cohen a rat, which Cummings said was one of the worst things somebody could be called.

"We're better than that!" he yelled, waving his arm across his body. "We really are. And I'm hoping that all of us can get back to this democracy that we want and that we should be passing on to our children so that they can do better than what we did."

Cummings, a 23-year veteran of Congress, proceeded to end the hearing minutes later and discuss the day's events afterward when he was asked specifically if he believed Trump committed a crime while in office.

"Looking at the text and listening to Mr. Cohen, it appears that he did," Cummings said.

Here are three things to know about him and two other key players in the hearing, Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Mark Meadows, R-N.C.

Baltimore roots

Cummings, who grew up in Baltimore, served in the Maryland House of Delegates before his election to represent the 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Baltimore. He was the first African-American in Maryland history to serve as speaker pro tem of the state's Legislature.

He is a fierce advocate for the city, pressing for calm during the 2015 riots after the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died in police custody. Cummings would show up on the city streets during the nightly curfew to try to persuade residents to comply. But he would lock arms and join peaceful protesters facing off against police.

Outspoken on civil rights

Cummings is a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and has long been outspoken on civil rights.

As chairman of the caucus in 2004, Cummings called on then-President George W. Bush to send troops to Haiti as part of an international force to restore order and protect democracy there.

He was also among the caucus members last year calling for congressional hearings to examine the fatal shootings of black people by police officers, including in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minnesota.

Last spring, Cummings, then the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, blasted a Justice Department official for failing to appear at a hearing about the agency’s request to add a controversial question about citizenship to the 2020 Census.

Cummings criticized John Gore, acting assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, for refusing to answer questions, saying the committee is investigating how and why the agency requested the Census Bureau add a citizenship question.

“We have a job to do," Cummings told Gore. “That is our job under the Constitution. That’s why we want you here. Your job is to answer our questions."

In the wake of Democratic wins that led to the party regaining control of the House, Cummings pushed for more diversity on Capitol Hill, including in House leadership.

Cummings is a close ally of Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who was considered a contender for speaker. Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in the House, ran for majority whip and won.

Cummings said it was also important to groom younger lawmakers of color for leadership posts.

“Does that mean I don’t advocate for an African-American speaker? I would love to have an African-American speaker, but at the same time I have to look at the total picture," he told USA TODAY. "How do we groom some folks so they can do the policy, do the strategy and raise the money?"

'All hands on deck'

When he was preparing to take the reins of the House Oversight Committee after the midterm elections in November, Cummings said there would be an “all hands on deck” effort by Democrats to pursue the multiple investigations against Trump.

Cummings pledged then to take the administration to task.

“The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over,” Cummings said at the start of Wednesday’s hearing. “They’re over.”

Also questioning Cohen were Meadows and Jordan.

Jim Jordan

Jordan, R-Ohio, led the Republican charge against the president’s former attorney. The ranking minority member of the House Oversight Committee told Cohen he was being used as a “patsy” by congressional Democrats, whom he slammed for relying on the testimony of a man who “is going to prison in two months for lying to Congress.”

“This might be the first time someone convicted of lying to Congress has appeared again so quickly in front of Congress,” Jordan said.

Jordan, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has been a fierce Trump defender who has railed against special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling. Last month, Jordan lost his bid to become House minority leader to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Mark Meadows

Meadows started off Wednesday’s hearing by asking that it not happen. Meadows, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus and is a staunch defender of Trump, failed in his request that Cohen’s testimony be postponed because Cohen’s evidence and opening statement weren’t received by members until late Tuesday.

“It was an intentional effort by this witness and his advisers to once again show his disdain for this body,” Meadows said.

Meadows was considered for Trump’s chief of staff, but the White House wanted him to stay in Congress.

"I know the president has a long list of tremendous candidates for his next chief of staff, and whomever it is will have my total support moving forward," Meadows said in December. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney was later given the role of acting chief of staff.

Meadows was sanctioned last year by the House Ethics Committee as part of a sexual harassment inquiry. The investigation centered on Meadows’ former chief of staff, Kenny West, and found that Meadows did not take “prompt” action in handling the allegations made by several women against West.

Contributing: Maureen Groppe

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Cohen hearing: Who is Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight Committee?