WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Veteran Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings passed away Thursday at the age of 68.
Cummings' office said he died due to 'longstanding health challenges'.
In the U.S. House of Representatives he represented Maryland's 7th congressional district for the last 23 years.
Cummings, who was heavily involved with the Trump impeachment inquiry, was chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Cummings was very active in Congressional activities until his last.
On October 8, he introduced the Family Asthma Act, a legislation that would expand federal, state, and local efforts to improve care for individuals with asthma.
Political leaders paid their tribute to one of the most respected Congressmen in U.S. history.
President Donald Trump offered condolences to the family and friends of Cummings. 'I got to see first hand the strength, passion and wisdom of this highly respected political leader. His work and voice on so many fronts will be very hard, if not impossible, to replace,' Trump said on Twitter.
Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke said, 'We lost one of our best'. 'A son of sharecroppers, who went on to represent one of our greatest cities; a fighter for justice, who always led with love, Rep. Elijah Cummings was everything right about America. He is already missed, but his legacy will be with us forever,' he tweeted.
Rep Adam Schiff said, 'Elijah Cummings was the heart and soul of our caucus, a dignified leader with a voice that could move mountains'. 'He was our moral and ethical North Star. Now we will be guided by his powerful memory and incomparable legacy,' he added.
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