Watch President Obama’s Moving Eulogy for Rep. Elijah Cummings

President Barack Obama delivered a powerful and moving eulogy at the funeral for Representative Elijah Cummings who passed away this week.

After lying in state for the last two days, the funeral today was attended by many, and counted Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi among those who eulogized the man.

According to NPR, “Cummings, who was the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, is remembered as a fierce champion of his district, which includes large swaths of inner-city Baltimore and surrounding suburbs. He died last week from longstanding health issues. He was 68.”

Obama’s eulogy was particularly moving, words from the United States’ first Black president, to a representative from Congress who had been the son of sharecroppers.

Obama said, “Elijah Cummings came from good soil. And in this sturdy frame, goodness took root. His parents were sharecroppers from the South. They picked tobacco and strawberries, and then sought something better in this city, South Baltimore. Robert worked shifts at a plant, and Ruth cleaned other people’s homes. They became parents of seven, preachers to a small flock. I remember I had the pleasure of meeting Elijah’s mother, Ruth, and she told me she prayed for me every day, and I knew it was true, and I felt better for it. Sometimes people say they are praying for you, and you don’t know. They might be praying about you, but you don’t know if they are praying for you. But I knew Miss Ruth was telling the truth.”

Read the full transcript of his eulogy at The Atlantic here and watch the clip below.