" Today, the United States has lost a great leader - a giant of civil rights, a champion of democracy and of our country, with the passing of Representative Elijah Cummings. A statesman who believed in the best of this nation, its government, and its people while holding to account when those marks were not met, he held us to our highest ideals.
"The death of Representative Cummings is a tragedy, his life a model of commitment to public service and to the people of Baltimore whom he served for decades. His courage, strength and pursuit of justice will long be remembered, in generations of leaders who have been inspired by his public work and personal character."