AP

Rep. Elijah Cummings: House observes moment of silence

Oct 17, 2019, 4:45 PM

In this Aug. 7, 2019, photo, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., speaks during a luncheon at the National ...

In this Aug. 7, 2019, photo, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., speaks during a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington. U.S. Rep. Cummings has died from complications of longtime health challenges, his office said in a statement on Oct. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

BALTIMORE, MD (AP) — The House has observed a moment of silence in honor of Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died Thursday at the age of 68.

Rep. Cummings died at Johns Hopkins Hospital due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said.

A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a U.S. House committee that investigated President Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his district that encompassed a large portion of Baltimore.

As chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cummings led multiple investigations into Trump’s governmental dealings. The investigations angered the president, who criticized the congressman’s district in 2019 as a “rodent-infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.”

Cummings responded that government officials must stop making “hateful, incendiary comments” that only serve to divide and distract the nation from its real problems.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a fellow Maryland Democrat, said Cummings was a quiet man who did not seek the limelight but “was not afraid to step out into the arena and fight hard for the causes in which he believed strongly.”

Hoyer said those causes include justice, equality, opportunity, civil rights, education and children. Cummings liked to say that “children are the message we send to a future we will never see.”

Hoyer said Cummings, of Baltimore, was beloved by his constituents and his congressional colleagues alike.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called Cummings “a respected adversary” and said he was tough but fair.

Former President Barack Obama is praising Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings for his principled stands and pursuit of truth, justice and reconciliation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls the late Baltimore lawmaker “a voice of unsurpassed moral clarity and truth.”

But it’s not just Democrats who are mourning Cummings after his death Thursday at age 68.
Republicans hailed Cummings as a statesman who reached across the aisle and made rare bipartisan friendships in an era of intense political polarization.

Trump called Cummings “a highly respected political leader” while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was a legend who won close friends and admirers from across the political spectrum.

North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, one of the most conservative members of Congress, said he was “heartbroken.”

The American flag is flying at half-staff over the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be lowered as well in honor of Rep. Elijah Cummings, the powerful House oversight chairman who died Thursday at age 68.

Pelosi says she’s also naming legislation to lower prescription drug prices for Cummings.

She grew up in Cummings’ Maryland district, told reporters at her weekly press conference that she is “devastated” by the death of her “brother in Baltimore.”

She added that Cummings “lived the American dream and he wanted it for everyone else.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

AP

The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of the container ship Dali after the br...

Nick Perry

Baltimore bridge collapse puts the highly specialized role of ship’s pilot under the spotlight

The highly specialized role — in which a pilot temporarily takes control of a ship from its regular captain — is coming under the spotlight this week.

8 hours ago

Shopping carts are parked outside a Home Depot in Philadelphia...

MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer

Home Depot buying supplier to professional contractors in a deal valued at about $18.25 billion

Home Depot will buy SRS Distribution, a materials provider for professionals, in a deal valued at approximately $18.25 billion.

9 hours ago

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 4: A view of the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday morning January 4, 2024 in...

MARK SHERMAN

Supreme Court again confronts the issue of abortion, this time over access to widely used pill

Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for bans or severe restrictions on abortion in many Republican-led states, abortion opponents on Tuesday will ask the high court to ratify a ruling from a conservative federal appeals court that would limit access to the medication mifepristone, which was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year.

3 days ago

File - The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone in Boston, USA, Oct. 14, 2022. Instagram has star...

Associated Press

New Instagram feature limits display of political content

Instagram has started an automatic clamp down on the amount of political content appearing in its users' feeds.

4 days ago

ghost army Congressional gold medal ceremony...

JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

Ghost Army members who staged secret WWII battlefield deceptions awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Three of the seven known surviving members attended the ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

8 days ago

Brigham Young Cougars center Aly Khalifa (50) shoots against the UCF Knights at the Marriott Center...

DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer

BYU’s Aly Khalifa heads into March Madness without food or water while observing Ramadan

It is a fast Khalifa is embarking on willingly, yet one that carries with it unusual challenges during the NCAA Tournament.

8 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Mother and cute toddler child in a little fancy wooden cottage, reading a book, drinking tea and en...

Visit Bear Lake

How to find the best winter lodging in Bear Lake, Utah

Winter lodging in Bear Lake can be more limited than in the summer, but with some careful planning you can easily book your next winter trip.

Happy family in winter clothing at the ski resort, winter time, watching at mountains in front of t...

Visit Bear Lake

Ski more for less: Affordable ski resorts near Bear Lake, Utah

Plan your perfect ski getaway in Bear Lake this winter, with pristine slopes, affordable tickets, and breathtaking scenery.

front of the Butch Cassidy museum with a man in a cowboy hat standing in the doorway...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking Back: The History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake is full of fascinating stories. At over 250,000 years old, the lake has seen generations of people visit its shores.

silhouette of a family looking over a lake with a bird in the top corner flying...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

8 Fun Activities To Do in Bear Lake Without Getting in the Water

Bear Lake offers plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy without having to get in the water. Catch 8 of our favorite activities.

Wellsville Mountains in the spring with a pond in the foreground...

Wasatch Property Management

Advantages of Renting Over Owning a Home

Renting allows you to enjoy luxury amenities and low maintenance without the long-term commitment and responsibilities of owning a home.

Clouds over a red rock vista in Hurricane, Utah...

Wasatch Property Management

Why Southern Utah is a Retirement Paradise

Retirement in southern Utah offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportunities. Find out all that this region has to offer.

Rep. Elijah Cummings: House observes moment of silence