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| Senior Democrat Elijah Cummings dies from health complications | Senior Democrat Elijah Cummings dies from health complications |
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| The Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings died early on Thursday due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said on Thursday. He was 68. | The Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings died early on Thursday due to complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said on Thursday. He was 68. |
| A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a House committee that investigated Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his black-majority district, which encompasses a large portion of Baltimore, Maryland, as well as richer suburbs. | A sharecropper’s son, Cummings became the powerful chairman of a House committee that investigated Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his black-majority district, which encompasses a large portion of Baltimore, Maryland, as well as richer suburbs. |
| Trump 'rat-infested' attack on Elijah Cummings was racist, Pelosi says | Trump 'rat-infested' attack on Elijah Cummings was racist, Pelosi says |
| As chairman of the oversight and reform committee, Cummings led multiple investigations of the president’s governmental dealings, including several in 2019 relating to the president’s family members serving in the White House. | As chairman of the oversight and reform committee, Cummings led multiple investigations of the president’s governmental dealings, including several in 2019 relating to the president’s family members serving in the White House. |
| Trump responded by criticising the Democrat’s district as a “rodent-infested mess” where “no human being would want to live”. The comments came weeks after Trump drew bipartisan condemnation following his calls for Democratic congresswomen of colour to get out of the US “right now” and go back to their “broken and crime-infested countries”. | Trump responded by criticising the Democrat’s district as a “rodent-infested mess” where “no human being would want to live”. The comments came weeks after Trump drew bipartisan condemnation following his calls for Democratic congresswomen of colour to get out of the US “right now” and go back to their “broken and crime-infested countries”. |
| 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. | 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 behaviour,” Cummings said in a speech at the National Press Club. | “Those in the highest levels of the government must stop invoking fear, using racist language and encouraging reprehensible behaviour,” Cummings said in a speech at the National Press Club. |
| Cummings’ long career spanned decades in Maryland politics. He rose through the ranks of the Maryland House of Delegates before winning his congressional seat in a special election in 1996 to replace Kweisi Mfume, who left the seat to lead the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. | |
| Cummings continued his rise in Congress. In 2016, he was the senior Democrat on the House Benghazi committee, which he said was “nothing more than a taxpayer-funded effort to bring harm to Hillary Clinton’s campaign” for president. | Cummings continued his rise in Congress. In 2016, he was the senior Democrat on the House Benghazi committee, which he said was “nothing more than a taxpayer-funded effort to bring harm to Hillary Clinton’s campaign” for president. |
| Cummings was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s presidential bid in 2008. Throughout his career, Cummings used his fiery voice to highlight the struggles and needs of inner-city residents. He was a firm believer in some much-debated approaches to help the poor and addicted, such as needle exchange programs as a way to reduce the spread of Aids. | |
| Cummings was born on 18 January 1951. In school, a counsellor told him he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly, and he would never fulfil his dream of becoming a lawyer. “I was devastated,” Cummings told Associated Press in 1996, shortly before he won his seat in Congress. “My whole life changed. I became very determined.” | Cummings was born on 18 January 1951. In school, a counsellor told him he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly, and he would never fulfil his dream of becoming a lawyer. “I was devastated,” Cummings told Associated Press in 1996, shortly before he won his seat in Congress. “My whole life changed. I became very determined.” |
| It steeled Cummings to prove that counsellor wrong. He became not only a lawyer, but one of the most powerful orators in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he entered office in 1983. He rose to become House speaker pro tem, the first black delegate to hold the position. He would begin his comments slowly, developing his theme and raising the emotional heat until it became like a sermon from the pulpit. | It steeled Cummings to prove that counsellor wrong. He became not only a lawyer, but one of the most powerful orators in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he entered office in 1983. He rose to become House speaker pro tem, the first black delegate to hold the position. He would begin his comments slowly, developing his theme and raising the emotional heat until it became like a sermon from the pulpit. |
| Cummings was quick to note the differences between Congress and the Maryland General Assembly, which has long been controlled by Democrats. “After coming from the state where, basically, you had a lot of people working together, it’s clear that the lines are drawn here,” Cummings said about a month after entering office in Washington in 1996. | Cummings was quick to note the differences between Congress and the Maryland General Assembly, which has long been controlled by Democrats. “After coming from the state where, basically, you had a lot of people working together, it’s clear that the lines are drawn here,” Cummings said about a month after entering office in Washington in 1996. |
| Cummings chaired the Congressional Black Caucus from 2003 to 2004, employing a hard-charging, explore-every-option style to put the group in the national spotlight. | Cummings chaired the Congressional Black Caucus from 2003 to 2004, employing a hard-charging, explore-every-option style to put the group in the national spotlight. |
| He cruised to big victories in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, which had given Maryland its first black congressman in 1970 when Parren Mitchell was elected. | He cruised to big victories in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, which had given Maryland its first black congressman in 1970 when Parren Mitchell was elected. |
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