Written by Andy Sullivan and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. leaders on Tuesday paid tribute to former President Jimmy Carter – who served the longest and most impressive presidential term 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 coffin under the Capitol dome. Many praised Carter's actions as the 39th president and the humanitarian work he continued for decades after leaving office in 1981.
“Jimmy Carter was an extremely rare example of a talented man who also walked with humility, humility and civility,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, who like Carter is a Democrat.
Republicans John Thune, the Senate leader, and Mike Johnson, the House speaker, also spoke, as Carter family members and other lawmakers noted. They included Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia, where Carter served as governor
The carefully choreographed ceremony came during a period of transition in Washington as Republican President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office from Democratic President Joe Biden on January 20. Security measures are tighter than usual, with a fence surrounding the Capitol building.
Carter's flag-draped coffin arrived at the Capitol aboard a horse-drawn submarine after a funeral procession down Pennsylvania Avenue. Family members followed on foot, a reference to Carter's walk down the street during his inauguration in 1977. U.S. Naval Academy cadets saluted the former Navy submarine officer.
Carter's remains will lie in state in the Capitol's rotunda for the next three days so that members of Congress and the public can pay their respects. His body is scheduled to move in a procession on Thursday to attend the funeral ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral.
Carter, who served one term in the White House from 1977 to 1981, died on December 29 at the age of 100.
The body to be returned to its place of origin
The former Georgia peanut farmer endured a bad economy and the Iran hostage crisis while in office, and was easily defeated for re-election by Republican Ronald Reagan.
In the following decades, he gained a reputation as a committed human being, and was widely viewed as a better former president than he was president. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Carter lived longer than any other US president, remaining in a nursing home for nearly two years before his death. His last public appearance was at his wife Rosalyn'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 casting his vote for Harris in the Nov. 5 election, which she lost to Trump.
Biden ordered flags on government buildings to be flown at half-mast for 30 days as a sign of mourning. This angered Trump, who said it should not be reduced during his inauguration.
In a press conference, Trump stressed his desire to regain control of the Panama Canal, which Carter signed for Panama during his presidency.
Members of the public will be able to view the casket from 6:00 pm (2300 GMT) until midnight (0500 GMT).
Public viewing hours will resume on Wednesday at 7 a.m. (noon GMT) and Carter will lie in state in the rotunda with a 24-hour military honor guard.
Biden and Trump are expected to attend Carter's funeral service at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Thursday.
Biden was expected to deliver the eulogy. After the funeral, Carter's remains will be flown back to his home in Georgia. His body will be buried later that day in his hometown of Plains.
