Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings passed away this morning. Cummings, who had served in Congress since 1996, has had health problems in recent years and had been away from Capitol Hill since last month. He was 68.
Less than three months ago, Cummings was a target of President Trump's tweeter fingers. In his capacity as Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cummings would have been a key figure in the forthcoming impeachment hearings against President Trump. During his tenure, he sought the release of Trump's tax returns and was a strong critic of Trump's child detention policies at the southern border. On this last point, Trump saw fit to claim that conditions in Cummings' district were worse than on the southern border. Trump characterized Cummings' district as "a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" and that "no human being would want to live there." Of course, many people do live in Maryland's 7th District and majority of these people are African-American. Trump's criticism of Cummings and the district he represented was undeniably racially motivated.
But it was also motivated by the fact that Cummings was doing his job. The best tribute Congress can give to Cummings is exercise its powers derived to it in the Constitution and proceed with impeachment proceedings against a President who is unworthy of his office. R.I.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment