Representative Elijah Cummings (D., Md.) realized on the flight back from Nelson Mandela’s memorial service that the fight over Obamacare had similarities to the former South African president’s battle against apartheid, according to the Hill. He encouraged Congress to act in the spirit of Mandela and embrace a “push for reconciliation” over divisions regarding the health-care law.
In prepared remarks for an House Oversight Committee hearing, Cummings said his “inspirational trip” allowed him to take “the opportunity to reflect on the amazing changes that one individual, working with determination over a lifetime, can bring to millions of others.”
“There will always be forces aligned against progress, against equality, and against basic human dignity,” he said. “But Nelson Mandela’s life reminds us that our mission on earth is to transcend these destructive forces and always pursue the betterment of our fellow man.”