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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE LATE U.S. REP. ELIJAH EUGENE CUMMINGS
WHEREAS, Elijah Eugene Cummings was born on January 18, 1951, in Baltimore, the son of sharecroppers Ruth Elma (née Cochran) and Robert Cummings, and third of seven children; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings, when he was 11 years old, showed an early sense of social justice when he was among a group of friends who worked to integrate a segregated swimming pool in South Baltimore; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings graduated with honors from the Baltimore City College High School in 1969, then attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he served in student government as sophomore class president, student government treasurer and later student government president; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings graduated in 1976 from the University of Maryland School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor degree, and was admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association later that year; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings practiced law for 19 years before first being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings received 12 honorary doctoral degrees from universities across the United States, most recently an honorary doctorate of public service from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2017; and
WHEREAS, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Elijah Cummings rose through the ranks of the Democratic Party caucus to positions of leadership; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings was widely praised following the 2008 congressional hearings on steroids. While investigating the use of steroids in sports, the panel called numerous baseball players to testify, including former single season home run record holder Mark McGwire. After McGwire answered many questions in a vague fashion, Cummings demanded to know if he was "taking the Fifth.” McGwire responded by saying, "I am here to talk about the future, not about the past." The exchange came to epitomize the entire inquiry and Cummings was hailed for his direct and forthright questioning; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, Elijah Cummings was elected by his caucus as the ranking Democratic member, and later chair, of the powerful House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform because of his proven aggressive legislative and debating skills, a position in which he was widely respected and which he held until his untimely death; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 108th United States Congress; and
WHEREAS, during his illustrious career in Congress, Elijah Cummings helped author and supported numerous pieces of legislation, including the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014, a bipartisan bill signed into law by then-President Barack Obama in December 2014; and the All Circuit Review Extension Act, a bill that "allows whistleblowers to file appeals where they live rather than being limited to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals"; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings was re-elected to the U.S. House 11 more times, never dropping below 69 percent of the vote;
WHEREAS, throughout his career, Elijah Cummings remained dedicated to his core principles of racial and social justice, equity and equality; and
WHEREAS, Elijah Cummings lived in the Madison Park community of his beloved Baltimore and was an active member for 40 years of the New Psalmist Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, following his death on October 17, 2019, Elijah Eugene Cummings was remembered across the political spectrum as a giant among his congressional peers and for his steadfast resolve and principled stands on politically charged issues.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the President and Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, assembled this 23 day of October 2019, do hereby celebrate the life and achievements, as well as mourn the death of Congressman Elijah Eugene Cummings;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be sent to the family and many friends of Elijah Eugene Cummings as a token of our esteem and good wishes. end