Lawmaker thought of Whitney Houston's mother

When Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) heard about singer Whitney Houston's death, he "immediately" thought about Houston's mother, Cissy, he said.

"The most difficult thing in all of this is saying goodbye to relatively young people. No parent wants to attend the funeral of their child," Towns said in a statement on Monday.

"For them, it is a heart-wrenching experience to know that your beloved daughter or son’s life has been cut short. So when I learned of the death of Whitney Houston my mind and heart immediately went to Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother."

Towns went on to mention Cissy Houston's own career and that she won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album.

"Cissy has lost her daughter and there is little that can comfort her now. Only her faith in God will sustain her through this tragic experience," Towns said later on in the statement. "I will pray her strength and dust off some of my Cissy Houston recordings."

On Monday, police said that Whitney Houston was found dead underwater in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills Hotel. Houston's death was announced on Saturday; she was found earlier that day.

Coroner officials say it's too soon to pronounce the cause of death.

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