Biography

Congressman Cummings was born on January 18, 1951 in Baltimore. He spent his formative years in South Baltimore before embarking upon an academic career that included graduating with honors from Baltimore City College High School in 1969 and from Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1973. While at Howard he majored in Political Science, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and served as Sophomore Class President, Student Government Treasurer and Student Government President. After college Mr. Cummings went on to graduate from the University of Maryland School of Law and was admitted to the Maryland State Bar in 1976. The Congressman continues to reside in the Madison Park community in Baltimore City, and is an active member of New Psalmist Baptist Church

First sworn in as a Member of the United States House of Representatives in April 1996, Congressman Cummings has proudly represented Maryland’s 7^th District for seven terms. Before being elected to Congress, Mr. Cummings served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 16 years. As a member of the Maryland General Assembly, he served as Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus and was the first African American in Maryland history to be named Speaker Pro Tem, the second highest position in the House of Delegates.

Congressman Cummings is a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He serves on the Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. He serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. This subcommittee is responsible for overseeing the operations of the U.S. Coast Guard and all aspects of maritime transportation in the United States. Congressman Cummings oversees the implementation of the Coast Guard’s $8 billion fiscal year 2007 budget, the rehabilitation and modernization of the Coast Guard’s fleet through the Deepwater procurement program, and is responsible for ensuring that the Coast Guard can balance its critical homeland security missions.

Congressman Cummings is also a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.  He is a member of the Committee’s Subcommittee on Domestic Policy and Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office and the District of Columbia. It is his objective to see that our government runs as effectively and efficiently as possible. Congressman Cummings` role on this committee also includes ensuring that government officials are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. He participates in investigations into waste, fraud and abuse in government contracting, including the nearly $3.5 billion in questioned and unsupported costs in Iraq. In addition, Congressman Cummings conducts oversight of the federal workforce, which includes many residents of Maryland’s 7^th District

Most recently, Congressman Cummings was selected to serve on the House Committee on Armed Services. He serves on the Committee’s Subcommittee on Readiness. Congressman Cummings has consistently opposed the war in Iraq and voted against the legislation that authorized the invasion of Iraq. He is deeply concerned about the impact that extended and repeated deployments have had on our military’s ability to respond to emerging threats both at home and abroad. Serving both as Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, and on the House Armed Services Committee he has the opportunity to represent the interests of his constituents and indeed  the nation regarding critical threats that confront our homeland.

In addition to his standing committee assignments, Congressman Cummings is a member of the House Task Force on Health Care Reform, and a member of the Get-out-of-Iraq, Progressive and Port Security Caucuses.

Congressman Cummings continues the work he began as a Ranking Member of the now defunct Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. He remains an outspoken proponent of fair, treatment-based solutions to the country’s drug problems. He is one of the originators of the Drug Policy Caucus, which is a bi-partisan group of Congresspersons that remain vigilant in their efforts to craft and enact solid drug policy.

During the 110^th Congress, Congressman Cummings has sponsored initiatives to secure our homeland, increase access to college, promote sound health care policy, protect workers’ rights, end global warming, and provide seniors with affordable prescription drugs. Also, Congressman Cummings has made it a priority during his tenure to ensure that all children have access to a high quality education, specifically through the reauthorization and full funding of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Though Congressman Cummings` status in Washington has increased during his tenure, he remains a public servant and continues to serve on numerous boards and commissions. They include the United States Naval Academy Board of Visitors, the Maryland Zoo Board of Trustees, the Baltimore Aquarium Board of Trustees, the Institute of Human Virology Board of Directors, 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.