(WXYZ) — Congressman Elijah Cummings has passed away overnight at age 68.
Around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Congressman Cummings passed away at Johns Hopkins Hospital due to "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," according to a statement from his office.
Sad, breaking news: Congressman Elijah Cummings has died. @ABC pic.twitter.com/Ts0iXC4ybI
— Kenneth Moton (@KennethMoton) October 17, 2019
He hadn't returned to work after having a medical procedure that he said would only keep him away for about a week, AP reported Thursday.
The Baltimore Sun reports the Democratic House Oversight and Reform Committee chair is a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
He missed two roll call votes Thursday, the first day back following a two-week recess. He previously released a statement saying he'd be back by the time the session resumed. The 68-year-old hasn't taken part in a roll call vote since Sept. 11.
The procedure already caused Cummings to miss a September hearing on Washington, D.C., statehood. His statement didn't detail the procedure. He previously was treated for heart and knee issues.
In 1996, he was first elected to the US Congress. Cummings was reelected in 2018 in the 7th Congressional District with 76% of the vote.
