Biography

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where he still resides today. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Howard University, serving as Student Government President and graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and then graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Congressman Cummings has dedicated his life of service to uplifting and empowering the people he is sworn to represent. He began his career of public service in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he served for sixteen years and became the first African American in Maryland history to be named Speaker Pro Tem. First sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996, Congressman Cummings has proudly represented Maryland’s 7th District for seven terms.

Congressman Cummings often says that our children are the living messages that we send to a future we will never see. In that vein, he is committed to ensuring that our next generation has access to quality healthcare and education, clean air and water, and a strong economy defined by fiscal responsibility.

Congressman Cummings is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation and sits on the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

In his role as Chairman, Congressman Cummings oversees the implementation of the U.S. Coast Guard’s FY2010 $9.637 billion budget. He has made it a priority to ensure that the Coast Guard has the infrastructure and resources to successfully balance its critical homeland security missions with other crucial missions, including interdicting drugs before they reach America’s shores and conducting search and rescue missions and ensuring the safety of the U.S. maritime transportation system. He has also been working to increase diversity within the Service and the Coast Guard Academy and strengthen the acquisition management process to ensure that our taxpayer dollars are used effectively and efficiently.

Congressman Cummings is also a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. As the main investigative committee in the House of Representatives, Oversight and Government Reform has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications. Congressman Cummings is committed to and has played an active role in eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in, in order to fully and responsibly utilize every taxpayer dollar. He sits on the Subcommittees on Domestic Policy and on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia.

Congressman Cummings is also a member of the Joint Economic Committee and the House Task Force on Health Care Reform. He is a former Chairman and current member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is a co-founder and Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy. He is also a member of the Progressive, Port Security, and Get-out-of-Iraq Caucuses.

Congressman Cummings serves on numerous boards and commissions. He is spearheading an effort to strengthen the Maritime curriculum at the Maritime Academy in Baltimore. He is the Chairman of the Maritime for Primary and Secondary Education Coalition (MPSEC). He also serves on the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors, the Morgan State University Board of Regents, the Maryland 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 Yale-Howard Nursing Partnership Center to Reduce Health Disparities by Self and Family Management Advisory Committee. He is an active member of New Psalmist Baptist Church.

ˆReturn To Top