Elijah Cummings will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall after he died this week from health complications.
The announcement came from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Friday, a day after the Maryland Democrat’s death. Cummings’s family, guests, and members of Congress will have a ceremony for him on Thursday morning of next week, and a public viewing will occur after the ceremony.
The 68-year-old congressman was in the House for more than 20 years and headed up the House Oversight Committee. He was a leading figure in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump. Cummings was still signing subpoenas as part of the inquiry just hours before he died, according to a Democratic lawmaker.
Pelosi called Cummings “our North Star” after news of his death broke.
“He was a leader of towering character and integrity, whose stirring voice and steadfast values pushed the Congress and country to rise always to a higher purpose,” she added.
Cummings is survived by his wife Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who chairs the Maryland Democratic Party.
