The life and legacy of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) is being honored on Thursday as he lies in state at a formal ceremony in the National Statuary Hall in the US Capitol.
According to CNN, Cummings is the first African American, as well as the first African American lawmaker to lie in state.
Typically, the honor of lying in state is reserved for government officials and military officers.
Congressional leaders and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are expected to attend the ceremony, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
The public will also be allowed to pay respects to the iconic leader between 1 and 7 p.m. ET.
Cummings’ funeral service will be held on Friday at New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, where Cummings was a member for almost 40 years, according to USA Today.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as former first lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are expected to attend the funeral.
Obama spokesperson Katie Hill tweeted on Wednesday evening that Cummings’ widow, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, requested that the former president “deliver remarks about the remarkable life and legacy of one of this country’s finest public servants,” at the service.