Cummings To Be First African-American Lawmaker To Lie In State At Capitol

Politician and Maryland congressional representative Elijah Cummings at his campaign headquarters, 1988. (Photo by Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images)
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Thousands are expected to pay their respects to the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) Thursday as he becomes the first African-American lawmaker to lie in state at the Capitol.

Per Politico, his casket will also be placed near a statue of Rosa Parks just feet away from a bust of Jefferson Davis, symbolic of the race battles Cummings devoted much of his life to fighting.

Many high profile Democrats are slated to speak, including former President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), an unexpectedly close friend of Cummings despite the men’s polar opposite politics, will also speak.

His funeral will be held at his church in Baltimore on Friday. The legendary congressman died on October 17 of longstanding health problems.

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Notable Replies

  1. Cummings told Trump in a phone call shortly before his passing that Trump was the greatest President that has ever served. Really. Everyone knows it.

  2. Thurgood Marshall didnt lie in state? Perhaps at the Supreme Court

  3. I thought the exact same thing and looked it up. He lay in repose at the Supreme Court.

  4. I also just noticed the word “Rep” (I think it was just edited actually)

  5. He’s only the second African American to lay in state/honor. The first was Rosa Parks in 2005.

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