Elijah Cummings
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  April 16, 1996
Preceded by	Kweisi Mfume
Maryland House of Delegates 39th District
In office January 12, 1983 – January 10, 1996
Succeeded by	Sterling Page
Born	January 18, 1951 (1951-01-18) (age 57) Baltimore, Maryland
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	separated
Religion	Baptist

Elijah Eugene Cummings (born January 18, 1951) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 7th district of the State of Maryland (map) since 1996. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (582x645, 78 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Elijah Cummings List of members of the 110th United States Congress ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... Map The Seventh Congressional District of Maryland elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Mfume delivering a speech at NOAA during Black History Month, 2005 Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerald Gray, October 24, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Marylands... The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baltimore redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... Categories: | ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N...

Early life and career

Cummings was born in Baltimore and graduated with honors from the Baltimore City College in 1969. He later attended Howard University in Washington, DC, where he served in student government as sophomore class president, Student Government treasurer and later Student Government President. He became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Baltimore redirects here. ... Baltimore City College (BCC), also referred to as The Castle on the Hill, and more commonly as City, is a public secondary school in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. that focuses on the humanities and liberal arts. ... Howard University (HU) is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian university located in Washington, D.C., United States. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... A students union, student government, student senate, students association, or guild of students is a student organization present in many colleges and universities. ... The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society with the mission of fostering and recognizing excellence in the undergraduate liberal arts and sciences. ... A B.A. issued from the University of Tennessee. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ...

Cummings attended law school at the University of Maryland, graduating in 1976 and entering the Maryland Bar in December 1976. He practiced law for 19 years before first being elected to the House in the 1996 elections. // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ... University of Maryland, Baltimore, (also known as UMB) was founded in 1807. ... The U.S. House election, 1996 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1996 which coincided with the re-election of Bill Clinton as President. ...

For 16 years, Cummings served in the Maryland House of Delegates. In the Maryland General Assembly, he served as Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and was the first African American in Maryland history to be named Speaker pro Tempore, the second highest position in the House of Delegates. The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. ... The Maryland State House in downtown Annapolis. ... The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, aka: The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body. ...

Congressional career

Rep. Cummings (at podium; D-Maryland) joins other Members of the Congressional Black Caucus in protesting the nomination of Judge Charles W. Pickering to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (March, 2002).

Cummings was elected to the United States House of Representatives in April 1996 in a special election for Maryland's 7th Congressional District following the resignation of Kweisi Mfume. On November 9, 2004, Congressman Cummings was re-elected with 74 percent of the vote. On November 7, 2006, Congressman Cummings was re-elected for a sixth term. He was running unopposed. The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ... Charles Willis Pickering, Sr. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States District Courts: Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Louisiana Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas The court is based at... Mfume delivering a speech at NOAA during Black History Month, 2005 Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerald Gray, October 24, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Marylands... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He received praise and a boost in notoriety following the congressional panel hearings on steroids in March of 2005. While investigating the use of steroids in sports, the panel called numerous baseball players to testify, including former legendary slugger Mark McGwire. After McGwire answered many previous questions in a vague fashion, Cummings demanded to know if he was "taking the fifth", referring to the fifth amendment. McGwire responded by timidly saying "I am here to talk about the future not about the past". The exchange came to epitomize the entire inquiry. Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the Oakland Athletics before finishing his career with the St. ...

Cummings served as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 108th United States Congress. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, an organization of progressive members of Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ... United States Capitol (2002) // The One Hundred Eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprised of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. ... The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) the single largest caucus in the United States House of Representatives, and works together to advance progressive issues and causes. ... In the United States the term progressivism refers to two political movements: first, the original political progressive movement towards social and economic reform of the late 1800s and early 1900s; and second, the continuation of this movement/ideology in the form of modern progressivism which sees itself as a reform...

Committee assignments

As of January 2007, Cummings serves on the following House committees: A Congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress). ...

• Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation (Chair)
  • Subcommittee on Highways & Transit.
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.
• Member of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  • Subcommittee on Domestic Policy.
  • Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and District of Columbia.
• Member of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Readiness
• Member of the Joint Economic Committee

• Task Force on Health Care Reform
• Co-founder and Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy

The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has jurisdiction over: Aviation Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Railroads Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Highways, Transit, and Pipelines Water Resources and Environment A subcommittee represents each area of jurisdiction. ... The House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. ... The House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. ... The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816. ... The Subcommittee on Domestic Policy is a standing committee within the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. ... The Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia is a standing committee within the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. ... The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. ... United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives. ... The Joint Economic Committee is one of only four joint committees of the U.S. Congress. ...

Other contributions and service

Earlier photo of Congressman Cummings.

Cummings also serves on numerous Maryland boards and commissions including the Board of Visitors (BOV) to the United States Naval Academy, the Baltimore Zoo Board of Trustees, the Baltimore Aquarium Board of Trustees, the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors and the Dunbar-Hopkins Health Partnership Executive Board. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore (formerly The Baltimore Zoo) is a located in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland. ... The National Aquarium in Baltimore (angular building, rear right, and 2005 extension to its left) lies near historic ships in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, including USS Torsk and Lightship Chesapeake. ... Scouting in Maryland has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving millons of youth with activities that have adapted to the changing cultural environment but have always been rooted in an active outdoor program. ... For the Boy Scouting program within the BSA, see Boy Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). ...

In addition to his many speaking engagements, he writes a biweekly column for the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper. He currently lives in the Madison Park community in Baltimore, and is an active member of the New Psalmist Baptist Church. He was mentioned as a possible candidate in 2006 for the United States Senate seat of retiring Sen. Paul Sarbanes, but ended up endorsing Kweisi Mfume for the seat instead of running himself (see Maryland United States Senate election, 2006). He is also considered to be a possible candidate for Governor of Maryland in the future. Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Paul Spyros Sarbanes (born February 3, 1933), a Democrat, is the senior United States Senator representing the state of Maryland. ... Mfume delivering a speech at NOAA during Black History Month, 2005 Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerald Gray, October 24, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland) is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Marylands... The Maryland U.S. Senate election of 2006 was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. ...

Election history

The U.S. House election, 1996 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1996 which coincided with the re-election of Bill Clinton as President. ... Categories: | ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... GOP redirects here. ... The U.S. House election, 1998 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1998 which occurred in the middle of President Bill Clintons second term. ... Categories: | ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... GOP redirects here. ... The U.S. House election, 2000 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 2000 which coincided with the election of George W. Bush as President. ... Categories: | ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... GOP redirects here. ... The U.S. House election, 2002 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 2002 in the middle of President George W. Bushs first term. ... Categories: | ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... GOP redirects here. ... Elections to the 109th United States House of Representatives were held on November 2, 2004. ... Categories: | ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... GOP redirects here. ... This article is about the American political party, Green Party. ... It has been suggested that United States House election, 2006 complete list be merged into this article or section. ... Categories: | ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the persons name. ...

References

• Elijah Cummings at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Official Congressional biography for Representative Cummings.
• Congressional Quarterly Voting and Elections Collection.

The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all members of both houses of the United States Congress, past and present. ...

External links

• Congressman Elijah E. Cummings official U.S. House website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia

v • d • e Chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus Diggs • Stokes • Rangel • Burke • Mitchell • Collins • Fauntroy • Dixon • Leland • Dymally • Dellums • Towns • Mfume • Payne • Waters • Clyburn • Johnson • Cummings • Watt • Kilpatrick