Thread by @OversightDems

Today, @USATODAY published an op-ed authored by the Staff of @RepCummings. Here is a thread of excerpts from the op-ed.

usatoday.com/story/opinion/…

As current and former congressional staff of Chairman Elijah E. Cummings, we had the great honor and privilege of working with him for more than two decades.

Whether in a hearing room full of Members of Congress or in a quiet conversation with staff, his example motivated us to become our best selves in the service of others. He was genuine.

As staff, we committed to doing everything in our power to fulfill his vision. He was a unifying force, even in this era of partisanship.

He invoked history books that will be written hundreds of years from now as he called on us to “fight for the soul of our democracy.” As he said, this is bigger than one man, one president, or even one generation.

He had so much left to accomplish, but he has left it for us to complete. As he told us presciently, “these things don’t happen to us, they happen for us.” His spirit was so strong, and his energy so boundless, that the void is devastating.

But, of course, he left us with instructions: “Pain, passion, purpose. Take your pain, turn it into your passion, and make it your purpose.” He lived those words, and he inspired us to do the same.

Sometimes, after a big event, he would take us aside for a quiet moment and say, “I just want to thank you for everything you do and for being a part of my destiny.”

Today, we thank him for being part of ours.

We commit to carrying forward his legacy in the limited time allotted to each of us—to give voice to the voiceless, to defend our democracy, and to always reach for higher ground.