Andy Sullivan and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. leaders paid tribute to former President Jimmy Carter — the longest and most respected post-president in history — as he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday ahead of his funeral on Thursday.
Members of Congress and several Supreme Court justices gathered around Carter’s (NYSE: ) flag-draped casket under the Capitol dome. Several praised Carter’s actions as the 39th president and the humanitarian work he did decades after he left office in 1981.
“Jimmy Carter was an all-too-rare example of a gifted man who also walked with humility, modesty and grace,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a Democrat like Carter.
Republicans John Thune, the leader of the Senate, and Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, also spoke as members of the Carter family and other lawmakers looked on. Among them were Democratic senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia, where Carter was governor
The carefully choreographed ceremony came at a time of transition in Washington as Republican President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take over from Democratic President Joe Biden on January 20. Security is tighter than usual, with a fence around the Capitol.
Carter’s flag-draped casket arrived at the Capitol on a horse-drawn caisson after a funeral procession down Pennsylvania Avenue. Family members followed him on foot, in a nod to Carter’s walk down the boulevard during his 1977 inauguration. The cadets of the US Naval Academy saluted the former Navy submarine officer.
Carter’s remains will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda for the next three days for members of Congress and the public to pay their respects. His body will travel in a motorcade to the National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday for the funeral.
Carter, who served one term in the White House from 1977 to 1981, died on December 29 at the age of 100.
BODY RETURNS TO HOMETOWN
The former Georgia peanut farmer battled a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis while in office and was easily defeated for re-election by Republican Ronald Reagan.
In the decades since, he has developed a reputation as a dedicated humanitarian and is considered by many to be a better former president than he was. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Carter lived longer than any other American president and was in the hospital for almost two years before his death. His last public appearance was at his wife Rosalynn’s funeral in November 2023, where he used a wheelchair and appeared frail.
In August, his grandson Jason Carter said Carter was looking forward to voting for Harris in the Nov. 5 election, where she lost to Trump.
Biden ordered flags on government buildings to be flown at half-staff for 30 days as a sign of mourning. That angered Trump, who said they should not be lowered during his inauguration.
At the press conference, Trump reiterated his desire to return control of the Panama Canal, which Carter signed over to Panama during his presidency.
Members of the public will be able to view the casket from 18:00 (23:00 GMT) until midnight (05:00 GMT).
On Wednesday, the public viewing will resume at 7am (noon GMT) and Carter will lie in state in the rotunda for 24 hours with a military guard of honour.
Both Biden and Trump were expected to attend Carter’s funeral service at 10 a.m. (15:00 GMT) on Thursday.
Biden was expected to deliver the eulogy. After the funeral, Carter’s remains will be flown home to Georgia. His body will be buried later that day in his hometown of Plains.
