By Andy Sullivan and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. leaders paid tribute on Tuesday to former President Jimmy Carter – who had the longest and most admired post-presidency in history – as he lay in state before his funeral on Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.
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 carried out for decades after leaving office in 1981.
“Jimmy Carter was a very rare example of a man of talent who also walked with humility, modesty and grace,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, who, like Carter, is a Democrat.
Republicans John Thune, the leader of the Senate, and Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House of Representatives, also spoke, as did members of the Carter family and other lawmakers. Among them were Democratic senators Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff of Georgia, where Carter served as governor.
The carefully choreographed ceremony comes amid a transition in Washington as Republican President-elect Donald Trump prepares to succeed Democratic President Joe Biden on Jan. 20. Security is higher than usual, with the capitol fenced off.
Carter’s flag-draped casket arrived at the Capitol on a horse-drawn caisson following a funeral procession down Pennsylvania Avenue. Family members followed Carter on a walk down the boulevard during his 1977 inauguration. Cadets of the US Naval Academy saluted a 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 be flown to the Washington National Cathedral for a funeral on Thursday.
Carter, who served one term in the White House from 1977 to 1981, died on December 29 at the age of 100.
The body must be returned to the native city
The former Georgia peanut farmer battled a poor economy and the Iran hostage crisis while in office and was defeated for re-election by Republican Ronald Reagan.
Decades later, he developed a reputation as a committed humanitarian and was widely seen as a better ex-president than president. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Carter lived longer than any US president and was in hospice care for almost two years before his death. His last public appearance was in November 2023 at the funeral of his wife Rosaline, 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, which he 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 regain control of the Panama Canal, which Carter signed for Panama during his presidency.
Members of the public will be able to view the tail from 6:00 pm (2300 GMT) until midnight (0500 GMT).
On Wednesday, public viewing hours will resume at 7 a.m. (noon GMT) and Carter will lie in state for 24 hours in the rotunda with a guard of honor.
Both Biden and Trump were expected to attend Carter’s funeral at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Thursday.
Biden was expected to issue a doctorate. After the funeral, Carter’s remains will be returned to Georgia. His body will be buried the same day in his hometown of Plains.