Sec Disclosure Effectiveness Testing Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Today, Mr. Speaker, is a sad day. It is a sad day for us; it is a sad day for this institution; and it is a sad day for America. We have lost a wonderful human being, a good and decent human being, a human being who made a difference for this institution, for all of us who knew him and were his friend, for his constituents, and for all Americans. All of us in this House lost a respected colleague. Many of us lost a dear, longtime, and good friend.

He came in 1996 to this body, and every time I ran for a leadership position, my friend Elijah Cummings nominated me. The passing this morning of Chairman Elijah Cummings of the Committee on Oversight and Reform was a painful shock to all who have served with him, more, of course, to his family, Dr. Rockeymoore Cummings, his wife, and his three children.

Elijah was a prophet of God whose name means ``my God is the Lord.'' Elijah Cummings was true to his name.

He was a leader for our country and for our State of Maryland, and we have the Members, including our favorite daughter. He was a leader for our State. He was a leader, like our brother John Lewis, for principle, for comity, and for civility.

He was a quiet man who did not seek the limelight, but he was not afraid to step out into the arena and fight hard for the causes in which he believed strongly. As all of us know, those causes were justice, equality, opportunity, civil rights, education, and children. He liked to say that children are the message we send to a future that we will never see. His parents sent Elijah into the future, and how much better the future was.

He was beloved by his constituents, both those in the city of Baltimore and those in its suburbs. Indeed, Elijah was probably better loved in my district than I am. Most of my colleagues will understand that, of course.

He worked hard, even in his final days. The Speaker is going to speak, and I am sure she will say something about the telephone call she had with him just days ago, doing the people's business. As his health faltered, his passion for his work did not.

In the days ahead, we will have many opportunities, of course, to speak about our friend, Elijah, about his passion for service, his many contributions to Maryland and our Nation, and his deep convictions as a moral leader and a man of decency and love for his neighbor.

Some of you recall Elijah at the time of great distress in Baltimore--anger, outbursts. Elijah walked among them as a man of peace and, like no other person in our State, brought peace where there was no peace. We will have opportunities to remember that. And we have a chance to reflect on the love he had for his wife, Maya, and his three children.

Today, in remembering Elijah Cummings, we have a chance to promote the vision he held of the people's House coming together in a spirit of unity and purpose. Sadly, today, that purpose is to mourn his passing and remember a dear friend who will no longer be with us as we continue his work to which he gave his all. But, hopefully, his example will be with us.

Elijah used to say, when he saw conflict and confrontation, when he saw things he thought were not up to the standards we had set for our country and for ourselves because of our faith, our Constitution, and our Declaration, he would say, ``We are better than that.''

As we human beings do things, from time to time, that are not kind to one another, not thoughtful, and not respectful to one another, let us say to ourselves: We are better than that. That is what Elijah said to himself.

Mr. Speaker, in that spirit of unity, I will be yielding shortly to the Republican leader to share his reflections. But first, as I referred to her as Maryland's favorite daughter, I am honored to yield to the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi D'Alesandro. Now she would say Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi. I understand that. We are so proud of our Speaker.

Pelosi).

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), Speaker of the House, for her remarks.

I know Elijah felt very strongly about her and his support of her and her leadership and how proud he was that she was from the city of Baltimore that he loved so greatly.

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, in that spirit, I will ask for a moment of silence. But before I do that, let me mirror the remarks of the leader on the other side of the aisle.

A moment of silence will not be enough to respect the life of Elijah Cummings. What will be enough is we follow his example for a lifetime-- not for a moment, but for a lifetime--if we give one another the respect that he would give to us, if we give one another the consideration that the leader indicated that he gave to him.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask that we stand for a moment of silence and a lifetime of following an example.

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