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House Observes Moment Of Silence For Rep. Elijah Cummings

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House has observed a moment of silence in honor of Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died Thursday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a fellow Maryland Democrat, said Cummings was a quiet man who did not seek the limelight but "was not afraid to step out into the arena and fight hard for the causes in which he believed strongly."

Hoyer said those causes include justice, equality, opportunity, civil rights, education and children. Cummings liked to say that "children are the message we send to a future we will never see."

Hoyer said Cummings, of Baltimore, was beloved by his constituents and his congressional colleagues alike.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called Cummings "a respected adversary" and said he was tough but fair. Cummings was a popular figure among Republicans.

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