Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) died early Thursday morning as a result of “longstanding health problems,” according to The Baltimore Sun. He was 68.
According to The Baltimore Sun:
Cummings, who had been absent from Capitol Hill in recent weeks while under medical attention, had health issues in recent years. In 2017, he underwent an aortic valve replacement. The procedure, which aides described as minimally invasive in Cummings’ case, is used to correct narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart. The surgery led to an infection that kept him in the hospital longer than expected. He was later hospitalized for a knee infection, but he said this summer that his health was fine.
Cummings had not participated in a roll call vote since Sept. 11. His office said recently that he had undergone a medical procedure but the seriousness of his condition had not been known.
A key figure in the current impeachment inquiry, Cummings was a frequent critic of President Donald Trump. The two had a short feud earlier this year following Trump's tweets about the condition of Baltimore, which was in Cummings’ district (7th).
Cummings was also the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as well as a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.