Longtime Rep. Elijah Cummings received plenty of profound statements, honors and salutes after he died Oct. 17 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Cummings, 68, served as one of the top officials in Congress, chairing the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which has spearheaded the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
Flags at the Capitol Hill and throughout Maryland flew at half-staff in his memory.
Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Maryland), who represents portions of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, posted two pictures of him and his Capitol Hill colleague on Twitter.
“I always valued [Cummings’] wise counsel and benefited from his encouragement and wisdom,” Brown said. “He was a tower of strength through both good times and bad. There will simply never be another like him.”
Other representatives from Prince George’s used social media to pay their respects.
“Your life gave us memories too beautiful and important to forget. Rest in peace Congressman Elijah Cummings,” said Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-District 21) of College Park.
Several county officials released statements.
“A powerful and gracious leader, Elijah Cummings was a shining example of a true public servant, an inspiring voice for the people, a champion for civil rights and a fighter for justice,” said County Council Chair Todd Turner (D-District 4) of Bowie. “His unmatched legacy of service will have an enduring impact on us all, and as we remember him, we are grateful for a job well done.”
The county’s Democratic Central Committee said Cummings “was one of the tallest trees in our forest.”
“His demeanor was strong and steady and … fearless in the face of insurmountable challenges and adversities,” according to the committee statement. “His very presence withered away the ill intentions and rhetoric of those who sought to demean or belittle the very people he was elected to serve. He lived his life with purpose, passion, and a strong commitment to lift up and defend the poor, the downtrodden, and the forgotten.”
Social media posts also came from officials in his hometown of Baltimore.
“After we pause to reflect on @RepCummings immense legacy, the greatest tribute we can make is to commit ourselves to the work and the people he cared so deeply about,” tweeted Del. Nick Mosby (D-Baltimore). “We send our love and condolences to his loving wife, Maya, and his staff, constituents, family and friends.”
Del. Brooke Lierman of (D-Baltimore) said she was “heartbroken about the death of our leader Elijah Cummings.”
“He was the voice of moral clarity for our city & nation,” Lierman tweeted. “My heart is with his wife, family & staff. He was everything a public servant should be. Rest In Peace.”