Cummings’s widow says he ‘worked until his last breath’

Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the widow of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), on Thursday said in a statement that her late husband “worked until his last breath.”

{mosads}“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,” she said.

“It’s been an honor to walk by his side on this incredible journey. I loved him deeply and will miss him dearly,” Rockeymoore Cummings, who serves as the chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party, added.

Statement regarding the passing of @RepCummings : “He worked until his last breath because he believed our democracy was the highest and best expression of our collective humanity… I loved him deeply and will miss him dearly.” — @MayaRockeymoore pic.twitter.com/OLXVdHydoO

— MD Democratic Party (@mddems) October 17, 2019

Cummings, the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, died at 68 in the early hours of Thursday morning. He had continued his work leading the committee even as he used a walker and motorized scooter for mobility purposes, but had not participated in a roll call vote in the past month and recently underwent an unspecified medical procedure.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American lawmaker in Congress, also eulogized Cummings in a statement earlier this morning, calling him “a giant” and “a public servant to his core.”

“His dedication to fairness and his ability to navigate the choppy waters of partisanship were the hallmarks of his leadership. There will not be another leader like him,” Clyburn said.