Late Rep. Elijah Cummings Becomes First African American Lawmaker to Lie in State at U.S. Capitol

(WASHINGTON) — Members of the public are paying their respects to the late Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, as his body lies in state outside the House chamber where he served for 23 years.

Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, is the first African American lawmaker to lie in state at the Capitol and just the third African American to lie in honor there. Civil rights leader Rosa Parks and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut Jr. were the first two.

At a ceremony Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed Cummings as the “North Star” for fellow House Democrats and said, “Elijah was truly a master of the House.”

A wake and funeral are planned Friday in Baltimore. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are among the scheduled speakers.