House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene CummingsBlack GOP candidate accuses Behar of wearing black face in heated interview Overnight Health Care: US won't join global coronavirus vaccine initiative | Federal panel lays out initial priorities for COVID-19 vaccine distribution | NIH panel: 'Insufficient data' to show treatment touted by Trump works House Oversight Democrats to subpoena AbbVie in drug pricing probe MORE (D-Md.) closed Wednesday's hearing with former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen with an impassioned plea for lawmakers to “get back to normal” and to consider the democracy they are leaving future generations.

“I don’t know why this is happening for you, but it is my hope that a small part of it is for our country to be better,” Cummings told Cohen at the conclusion of roughly seven hours of testimony.

“The president called you a rat,” Cummings added. “We’re better than that. We really are. I’m hoping that all of us can get back to his democracy that we want and that we should be passing on to our children so that they can do better than what we did.”

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Cohen become visibly emotional as Cummings acknowledged the difficulty of the circumstances for the president's longtime attorney.

“Hopefully this portion of your destiny will lead to a better Michel Cohen, a better Donald Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE, a better United States of America, and a better world,” Cummings said as Cohen reached for a drink of water.

Rep. Elijah Cummings delivers an emotional closing statement as the Michael Cohen hearing ends: "Hopefully this portion of your destiny will lead to a better ... Michael Cohen, a better Donald Trump, a better United States of America, and a better world" https://t.co/ij0AmYP27T pic.twitter.com/byzwpQzqlT — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 27, 2019

The chairman grew more animated as he spoke, shouting into the microphone as he called on lawmakers to reflect on how they're protecting democracy.

He took a swipe at Republicans, who earlier in the day suggested that holding a hearing with Cohen was an indication that Democrats were out to get the president.

Cummings noted that the committee previously held a hearing on prescription drug prices.

“We can do more than one thing,” Cummings said. “And we have got to get back to normal.”

Cummings then gaveled the hearing to a close after roughly seven hours of testimony from Cohen.

The president's longtime attorney, who is facing a three-year prison sentence, will meet privately on Thursday with the House Intelligence Committee.