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Heard on the Hill: Mistaken Identity

HOH hears that an eager Capitol Hill visitor ran up to Rep. Elijah Cummings last week and began chatting about an old speech the Maryland Democrat had given. The only problem: The visitor was talking to Rep. John Lewis.

“Lewis seemed generally stunned,” our spy says.

The Georgia Democrat politely explained that he had the wrong guy. Lewis tells HOH that he’s often mistaken for other people, including Cummings.

“To make people feel a little better when they make that mistake, I like to tell them he’s my younger brother from Maryland, and we all laugh,” he says.

While it’s never fun to be misidentified, HOH notes that Cummings is nearly a decade younger than Lewis, so maybe the elder Member should consider the mix-up a compliment.

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