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HEALTH. IT WAS A WIDE-RANGING CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS LIFE AND LEGACY AS A CHILD, A YOUNG ELIJAH CUMMINGS, THE SON OF PENTECOST MINISTERS, LISTENED TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR’S SERMONS ON THE RADI HELLO. IN OUR LAST INTERVIEW, THE CONGRESSMAN TOLD ME HE HAD BEEN TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP HIMSELF, AND FIGHTING ILLNESS HAD A NEW SENSE OF WHAT THAT UNIQUE VIEW BROUGHT HI RE CUMMINGS: A LOT OF PEOPLE GO THROUGHOUT LIFE JUST ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO LIVE FOREVER, SO, THEREFORE, WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING THINGS DONE, THEY PUT IT OFF. THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY PUT IT OFF AND THEN THEY’RE GONE. DEBORAH: ELIJAH CUMMINGS ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES TO BECOME THE FIRST BLACK HOUSE SPEAKER PRO TEM BEFORE WINNI HIS CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN 1996. A ZEALOUS ORATOR, HE SPOKE OFT OF HIS SHARECROPPER FATHER, WHO LEFT SCHOOL AFTER THE 4TH GRADE. REP. CUMMINGS: HE’D SAY, SON, THE TEST OF A MAN IS NOT HOW MUCH HE HELPS HIMSELF. THE TRUE TEST IS WHETHER HE HELPS THOSE LESS FORTUNATE. DEBORAH: THE TRAJECTORY OF HIS LIFE WAS EXPANSIVE, HAVING INTEGRATED A SWIMMING POOL IN BALTIMORE AS AN 11-YEAR-OLD TO SEEING AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT. RE CUMMINGS: THEY USED TO THINK THE ONLY THING THEY COULD BECOME WAS A BASKETBALL OR FOOTBALL PLAYER. NOW THEY KNOW THEY CAN BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. PRICELESS. DEBORAH: CUMMINGS WAS A VOCAL ADVOCATE FOR THE POOR AND DISENFRANCHISED, A CHAMPION OF CIVIL RIGHTS. AND WHEN BALTIMORE ERUPTED IN UNREST IN 2015, HE TOOK TO THE STREETS IN AN EFFORT TO EASE TENSIONS. REPL. CUMMING -- REP. CUMMINGS: WE’VE GOT TO GO HOME. DEBORAH: CONGRESSMAN CUMMINGS SAID ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN HIS LIFE WAS THE ELIJAH CUMMINGS YOUTH PROGRAM, WHICH JUST MARKED 20 YEARS SENDING MOSTLY INNER CITY TEENAGERS TO ISRAEL, A DESIRE HE SAID FOR KIDS TO SEE BEYOND BALTIMORE. [APPLAUSE] IN THE LAST YEAR, THE PUBLIC BEGAN TO SEE A PHYSICALLY WEAKER CONGRESSMAN, BUT HE CONTINUED TO WORK LONG HOURS UNTIL THE END. AND EIGHT MONTHS AGO IN WASHINGTON, HE TOLD ME THAT HIS PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAYS INEVITABLY LED HIM TO PONDER HIS OWN MORTALITY. REP. CUMMINGS: THE THINKING OF DEATH MADE ME REALIZE THAT YOU CAN BE HERE THIS MORNING AND GONE THIS MORNING. DEBORAH: THE URGENCY FUELED HIS CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE POWERFUL HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WITH THIS LITIGATOR IN THE LEAD ROLE. REP. CUMMINGS: WHEN WE ARE DANCING WITH THE ANGELS, THE QUESTION WILL BE ASKED, IN 2019, WHAT DID WE DO TO MAKE SURE WE KEPT OUR DEMOCRACY INTACT? DEBORAH: CONGRESSMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS, GONE AT THE AGE OF 68, BATTLING HIS HEALTH WITH DIGNITY AND ASKING TO BE REMEMBERED WITH GRACE. RE CUMMINGS: I AM HOPING THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO WRITE ABOUT ME THAT I WAS A PEACEMAKER AND THAT I MADE A DIFFERENCE. DEBORAH: SO THANKFUL FOR THAT INTERVIEW. ONE OF THE MOST REVEALING MOMENTS IN THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE CONGRESSMAN WAS WHEN HE TOLD ME HIS MOTHER, WHO CLEANED HOUSES IN GUILFORD, RARELY EXPRESSED HOW PROUD SHE WAS OF HIM, BELIEVING HER SON’S PURPOSE IN LIFE WAS GREATER THAN H OF COURSE, HE CAME TO UNDERSTAND THAT

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The world is mourning 12-term Maryland U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died early Thursday morning at a Johns Hopkins hospice facility.Cummings' office released a statement, saying, "At approximately 2:30 a.m. on Thursday Oct. 17, 2019, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) passed away at Gilchrist Hospice Care due to complications concerning longstanding health challenges. More details will be forthcoming."Cummings was 68. He spent months in a hospital last year, first for his heart, then for an infection in his knee.Cummings' widow, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, released a statement, saying, "Congressman Cummings was an honorable man who proudly served his district and the nation with dignity, integrity, compassion and humility. He worked until his last breath because he believed our democracy was the highest and best expression of our collective humanity and that our nation’s diversity was our promise, not our problem. It has been an honor to walk by his side on this incredible journey. I loved him deeply and will miss him dearly."FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS: Cummings will be laid to rest next week. Funeral services will take place Oct. 25 at the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore. A viewing will begin at 8 a.m. following with the service at 10 a.m.Cummings grew up the son of Pentecostal ministers. Prayer is his GPS, guiding him where and how to go."I will pray that God takes us to a higher ground," Cummings said in February.As a child, Cummings listened to the sermons of Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio. In an exclusive interview with 11 News in February, Cummings said he had been to the mountaintop himself, and fighting illness, he had a new sense of what that unique view brought him."A lot of people go through life just assuming that they are going to live forever, and so therefore, when it comes to getting things done, they say, 'I'm going to put it off, put it off, put it off,' and then, the next thing you know, they put it off and then they are gone," Cummings said in February.A zealous orator, Cummings spoke often of his sharecropper father, who left school after the fourth grade."He said, 'Son, the test of a man is not how much he helps himself. The true test is whether he helps those less fortunate,'" Cummings said.Cummings was a vocal advocate for the poor and disenfranchised, a champion of civil rights, and when Baltimore erupted in unrest in 2015, he took to the streets in an effort to ease tensions.The trajectory of his life was expansive, from having integrated a swimming pool in Baltimore as an 11-year-old boy to seeing America's first black president elected.Cummings earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Howard University and then graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law. Cummings has also received 13 honorary doctoral degrees from universities throughout the nation.Cummings rose through the ranks of the Maryland House of Delegates to become the first black House speaker pro tem. He was elected in a special election in 1996 to serve the 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.A fixture in Maryland politics, Cummings was more widely known across the country as the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Cummings also drew ire from President Donald Trump, who tweeted that Cummings' district is a "rat and rodent infested mess." President Trump also told Cummings to focus on his district rather than conditions at the southern border.President Trump released a statement Thursday via Twitter, saying, "My warmest condolences to the family and many friends of Congressman Elijah Cummings. I got to see first hand the strength, passion and wisdom of this highly respected political leader. His work and voice on so many fronts will be very hard, if not impossible, to replace!"The president ordered American flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Cummings.Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the president's reelection campaign, tweeted, "Everyone woke up to the sad news this morning of the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings. He was an American icon for sure. At times like this you put differences aside. Our heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends. Rest in peace."Rep. Carolyn Maloney, of New York City, will take over as acting chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee until Democrats choose a permanent chair at an undetermined future date.Cummings said one of the most important things in his life was the Elijah Cummings Youth Program, which just marked 20 years of sending mostly inner city teenagers to Israel. He said it was a desire of his for kids to see beyond Baltimore.In the last year, the public began to see a physically weaker congressman, but Cummings continued to work long hours until the end. And in February in Washington, Cummings told 11 News that his prolonged hospital stays inevitably led him to ponder his own mortality."The portion of thinking about death gave me, even more so, an urgency of now and make me realize you can be here this morning and then gone this morning," Cummings said.The urgency fueled his chairmanship of the powerful House Oversight and Reform Committee with Cummings as the litigator in the lead role."When we're done dancing with angels, the question will be asked in 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?" Cummings said. "I am hoping that they'll be able to write about me that I was a peacemaker and that I made a difference."One of the most revealing moments in the February conversation was when Cummings said his mother, who cleaned houses in Guilford, rarely expressed how proud she was of him, believing her son's purpose in life was greater than he.Baltimore Mayor Jack Young released a statement, saying, "With the passing of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, the city of Baltimore, our country and people throughout the world have lost a powerful voice and one of the strongest and most gifted crusaders for social justice."Rep. Cummings, the son of sharecroppers whose ancestors were slaves, wasn't afraid to use his considerable intellect, booming voice, and poetic oratory to speak out against brutal dictators bent on oppression, unscrupulous business executives who took advantage of unsuspecting customers, or even a U.S. president. He was, put simply, a man of God who never forgot his duty to fight for the rights and dignity of the marginalized and often forgotten. "As we enter this period of mourning, let us remember his long legacy of justice as an example to us all of a life well lived."Rest easy, Congressman. We love you and will draw strength by remembering your selfless acts of service and dedication to pursuing equality and basic human rights for all people."Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski released a statement, saying, "Congressman Cummings believed in the power of government to improve lives, and he was a champion for those who most needed a strong voice speaking up on their behalf in Washington. He dedicated his life to the people of the Baltimore region, and we are all better for his selfless service. May he rest in peace."U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, speaking live on 11 News Today, said, "It's a personal loss. Elijah and I shared the same high school with Jason (Newton), Baltimore City College High School, the same law school, the University of Maryland. We served in the Maryland General Assembly together, we served in Congress together. But this is a loss for our country. Elijah Cummings was a powerful voice for social justice. He was a leader nationally and the most effective congressman representing his own congressional district, what he did for Baltimore. So this is a great loss. It's going to be hard to fill this void."He was very sick, but it didn't stop him at all. Until his last breath, he was still carrying out his constitutional responsibilities as chairman of a very important committee in Congress. He didn't lose a beat, even though he had these physical ailments. He did not lose a beat and knew that what he was doing was critically important to our country. What a model and inspiration for all of us. He overcame so many obstacles in his own life to achieve the powerful position that he did. It really is an inspiration for all of us that we all now need to step up and do more to help our community."He was one of the people. He always felt most comfortable with his own community, and it's a real testament to him. He never really got caught up in the position that he held, even though he knew that gave him power to get things done. He always knew his roots were with his people."He understood that we had to achieve more justice in this country, and when he saw people that could not achieve what God had given them because of the obstacles in our community, he couldn't be quiet. He had that passion, and he had an incredible voice that could motivate for change. He also knew how to get along with people, even people who disagreed with him, so he could get things done. He was very effective in carrying out the agenda. So he really had the whole package."We can't fill the void. Elijah's going to be terribly missed. We all need to step up to do more. It really requires us to say we believe in his legacy, we have to try to carry it out, we need to do more on social justice, we all need to up our game and do what we can to fill the missing shoes of Elijah Cummings.U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen released the following statement, saying, "At a time of chaos and division, our friend Elijah Cummings stood strong as a man of principle, unity, dignity and compassion. His insatiable thirst for justice was rooted in his core. Maryland has lost a beloved son and our nation a hero of our times."Retired U.S. Sen. Barbra Mikulski remembered Cummings for a number of things, including his big heart, saying: "He had a great heart. As big as he was with that deep inspirational voice, you know, his heart was just as big as it could be. I think that's what we'll miss. He had a way of inspiring people and lifting them up, even in tough times like (the) Freddie Gray Uprising. He had a way of bringing calm without pacification. It is not only a loss, it is a void, and we all will mourn it."Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan released a statement, saying, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings, who was a fierce advocate for civil rights and for Maryland for more than three decades. Congressman Cummings leaves behind an incredible legacy of fighting for Baltimore City and working to improve people's lives. He was a passionate and dedicated public servant whose countless contributions made our state and our country better. Maryland's first lady and I ask Marylanders to join us in praying for his loved ones, his constituents, and his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives."