Rep. Elijah Cummings died early Thursday, his office announced. The powerful Democratic House Oversight and Reform Committee chairman was a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, a champion of civil rights and the Voting Rights Act, and one of the most recognizable Democrats in Congress. In a brief statement, Cummings’ office said the congressman passed away at 2:45 a.m. ET at his native Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Baltimore Sun reported earlier this week that he didn’t return to work as expected following an unspecified medical procedure. He had previously battled health issues with his heart. Cummings, 68, served as the representative for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District from 1996 until his death. He was a frequent adversary of Trump and said in July: “I’m begging the American people to pay attention to what is going on. Because if you want to have a democracy intact for your children, and your children’s children, and generations yet unborn we've got to guard this moment … this is our watch.”