Congressman Elijah 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.
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 is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he sits on the Subcommittees on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials and Aviation and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. He is also a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Congressman Cummings is committed to and has played an active role in eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs 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 as well.
Congressman Cummings is 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 has been a leader in the House on issues of financial reform including the introduction of House Resolutions 846 and 3436, and a call for an investigation of AIG's counterparty payments.
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.
