The late Rep. Elijah Cummings is making history in death. He’s the first African American elected leader to lie in state in the Capitol, and just the third African American ever to do so.
Congress will hold a ceremony honoring Cummings on Thursday afternoon, at which Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will speak, along with some of Cummings’ friends in the House, including arch-conservative Rep. Mark Meadows and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass.
On Friday, Cummings' funeral will be held in Baltimore at the church where he worshipped. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton will be among the speakers, along with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Pelosi. “At the request of Mrs. (Maya) Rockeymoore-Cummings, he will deliver remarks about the remarkable life and legacy of one of this country’s finest public servants,” an Obama spokeswoman said in a statement.