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House Oversight and Reform chairman Elijah Cummings, speaks during a press conference following a House vote to authorize lawsuits to enforce subpoenas on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
This is a developing story... Check back for possible updates...
Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 68 Thursday from "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," his office said in a statement.
Cummings played a significant role in numerous investigations into President Donald Trump's conduct and policies, including his mass detention of children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Maryland Democrat also played a central role in the House impeachment inquiry into the president.
In July, Trump launched vicious and racist attacks on Cummings and his Baltimore district.
"Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors," Cummings tweeted in response to the president's attacks. "It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents."
News of Cummings' death was met with an outpouring of grief and well-wishes for his family on social media:
Civil rights group NAACP also lamented Cummings' passing in a statement.
"As a devoted statesman to Baltimore and the civil rights movement, Rep. Cummings was among the most passionate and spirited members of congress. He demanded justice on every front and never shied away from standing up for the most vulnerable," said Derrick Johnson, the President and CEO of NAACP.
The environmental advocacy group 350.org issued a statement expressing "deep sadness" over Cummings' death, with a statement from 350.org's North America Director, Tamara Toles O'Laughlin:
This morning, we lost a true champion for democracy, transparency, the rights of the people of Baltimore and the humanity of this country. Rep. Cummings leadership will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.
In the fight to stop catastrophic climate change, we need champions of his caliber to fight with and for the people as we stand up to corruption in high places and continued dereliction in Washington now more than ever before. Representative Cummings' example demands that we fight ever harder for a more just world, for all of us.
In a statement in September, voicing his support for impeachment proceedings against Trump, Cummings said, "When the history books are written about this tumultuous era, I want them to show that I was among those in the House of Representatives who stood up to lawlessness and tyranny."
Responding to that quote being shared on social media, one user on Twitter responded simply: "And, they will."
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
This is a developing story... Check back for possible updates...
Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 68 Thursday from "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," his office said in a statement.
Cummings played a significant role in numerous investigations into President Donald Trump's conduct and policies, including his mass detention of children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Maryland Democrat also played a central role in the House impeachment inquiry into the president.
In July, Trump launched vicious and racist attacks on Cummings and his Baltimore district.
"Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors," Cummings tweeted in response to the president's attacks. "It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents."
News of Cummings' death was met with an outpouring of grief and well-wishes for his family on social media:
Civil rights group NAACP also lamented Cummings' passing in a statement.
"As a devoted statesman to Baltimore and the civil rights movement, Rep. Cummings was among the most passionate and spirited members of congress. He demanded justice on every front and never shied away from standing up for the most vulnerable," said Derrick Johnson, the President and CEO of NAACP.
The environmental advocacy group 350.org issued a statement expressing "deep sadness" over Cummings' death, with a statement from 350.org's North America Director, Tamara Toles O'Laughlin:
This morning, we lost a true champion for democracy, transparency, the rights of the people of Baltimore and the humanity of this country. Rep. Cummings leadership will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.
In the fight to stop catastrophic climate change, we need champions of his caliber to fight with and for the people as we stand up to corruption in high places and continued dereliction in Washington now more than ever before. Representative Cummings' example demands that we fight ever harder for a more just world, for all of us.
In a statement in September, voicing his support for impeachment proceedings against Trump, Cummings said, "When the history books are written about this tumultuous era, I want them to show that I was among those in the House of Representatives who stood up to lawlessness and tyranny."
Responding to that quote being shared on social media, one user on Twitter responded simply: "And, they will."
This is a developing story... Check back for possible updates...
Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, died at Johns Hopkins Hospital at the age of 68 Thursday from "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," his office said in a statement.
Cummings played a significant role in numerous investigations into President Donald Trump's conduct and policies, including his mass detention of children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Maryland Democrat also played a central role in the House impeachment inquiry into the president.
In July, Trump launched vicious and racist attacks on Cummings and his Baltimore district.
"Mr. President, I go home to my district daily. Each morning, I wake up, and I go and fight for my neighbors," Cummings tweeted in response to the president's attacks. "It is my constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. But, it is my moral duty to fight for my constituents."
News of Cummings' death was met with an outpouring of grief and well-wishes for his family on social media:
Civil rights group NAACP also lamented Cummings' passing in a statement.
"As a devoted statesman to Baltimore and the civil rights movement, Rep. Cummings was among the most passionate and spirited members of congress. He demanded justice on every front and never shied away from standing up for the most vulnerable," said Derrick Johnson, the President and CEO of NAACP.
The environmental advocacy group 350.org issued a statement expressing "deep sadness" over Cummings' death, with a statement from 350.org's North America Director, Tamara Toles O'Laughlin:
This morning, we lost a true champion for democracy, transparency, the rights of the people of Baltimore and the humanity of this country. Rep. Cummings leadership will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.
In the fight to stop catastrophic climate change, we need champions of his caliber to fight with and for the people as we stand up to corruption in high places and continued dereliction in Washington now more than ever before. Representative Cummings' example demands that we fight ever harder for a more just world, for all of us.
In a statement in September, voicing his support for impeachment proceedings against Trump, Cummings said, "When the history books are written about this tumultuous era, I want them to show that I was among those in the House of Representatives who stood up to lawlessness and tyranny."
Responding to that quote being shared on social media, one user on Twitter responded simply: "And, they will."