Baltimore’s Elijah Cummings Dead At Age 68

From CNN:

Congressman Elijah Cummings had been facing significant health challenges in recent weeks. 

He had been in and out of the hospital, missing votes and business in his committee.

Cummings was spotted several times with a breathing tube in his nose connected to oxygen while sitting on the House floor. When speaking to reporters, he would have to wait 15 to 20 seconds or so to catch his breath before speaking. He would drive around on a motorized wheel chair through the Capitol, then walk using the assistance of a walker.

While he was chair of the Oversight Committee, he had not been in command of the investigations on his panel. His staff did a lion’s share of the work and had been helping lead the charge in the impeachment inquiry.

And from NBC:

Cummings, D-Md., passed away around 2:30 a.m. ET at Gilchrist Hospice Care, an affiliate of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Hospital, his office said in a brief statement.

Cummings had represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District since 1996, serving 12 terms in the House, and was at the center of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump in his role as House Oversight Committee chairman.

The congressman hadn't taken part in a roll call vote since Sept. 11, failing to return for work after a medical procedure he said would only keep him away for a week, according to The Associated Press.

Cummings last spoke on the House floor in late July before the House went on a six-week recess. For months, he had been seen moving around Capitol Hill on a motorized scooter. In 2017, he was sidelined for months following heart surgery and later told his staffers his recovery renewed his focus on the importance of his work.