Yvette Clarke: “I thank the gentleman from Houston for sharing those very inspiring, uplifting comments about our dear, beloved…”

“I thank the gentleman from Houston for sharing those very inspiring, uplifting comments about our dear, beloved colleague at this time. It is important for us, as we go through the stages of mourning, to recognize, as he has stated, rightly stated, that we were fortunate to have Elijah Cummings with us for 68 years--his family, his friends, even longer--and during the 68 years, we were fortunate to have him as part of our family here in the Congressional Black Caucus and in the Halls of Congress. In that time, he was able to accomplish so much through his God-given talents and abilities that he has become well-known not only here in the United States, but around the world. I am hearing from members of the Caribbean community who have read about and heard about the passing of Elijah Cummings, all of whom have reached out to share with me their comments and their condolences because they understand what Elijah has meant not only to the United States House of Representatives, United States Congress, but, indeed, because he was a world-class leader. Mr. Speaker, I have some friends and colleagues of the honorable chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee who would like to say a few words, if you will, about our great colleague. It is my honor, at this time, to yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), my classmate and colleague, a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee, to give his remarks.”