Bob Dole to lie in state at Capitol, funeral Friday at National Cathedral
Sen. Bob Dole’s casket will lie in state in the US Capitol on Thursday as congressional leaders honor the former Republican presidential candidate and World War II veteran who served in Congress for 36 years.
Dole will then have a state funeral on Friday at the Washington National Cathedral, a senior congressional source told The Post on Monday.
Dole passed away Sunday at the age of 98.
On Saturday, his body will be transported to his home state of Kansas. Dole served four terms in the House and more than four terms in the Senate.
He won the Republican nomination in 1996, but was defeated when President Bill Clinton won a second term. He was also 1976 GOP vice presidential candidate on the losing ticket with President Gerald Ford.
President Biden is expected to attend the funeral, as well as top congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle. On Sunday, Biden issued a statement on the Republican’s passing and reflected on their time in the Senate together.
“In the Senate, though we often disagreed, he never hesitated to work with me or other Democrats when it mattered most,” Biden said.
The funeral could also result in the first in-person meeting between Biden and former President Donald Trump since the 2020 presidential debates. Trump representatives did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on whether he intends to attend.
“Bob Dole was an American war hero and true patriot for our Nation,” Trump said in a statement Sunday
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony will be open to invited guests only.
Since Sunday, top congressional leaders in both parties have expressed their sorrow over Dole’s death.
“Whatever their politics, anyone who saw Bob Dole in action had to admire his character and his profound patriotism,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said.
“Those of us who were lucky to know Bob well ourselves admired him even more. A bright light of patriotic good cheer burned all the way from Bob’s teenage combat heroics through his whole career in Washington and through the years since. We look forward to honoring his life and legacy at the Capitol.”
“Senator Dole was an extraordinary patriot, who devoted his entire life to serving our nation with dignity and integrity,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said. “Putting his life on the line to defend our nation, he was awarded two Purple Hearts for his valor and sacrifice on the battlefield — and, when he came home, served as an inspiration to millions of Americans living with disabilities.
“From the Well of the House to the Floor of the Senate, as a presidential candidate and as an elder statesman, he was one of the foremost advocates for our Servicemembers, veterans and military families. May it be a comfort to his loving wife, his dear daughter and all his loved ones that a grateful nation joins them in mourning during this sad time.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) echoed Pelosi’s sentiment, saying Dole “exemplified the greatest generation.”
“And while I never had the pleasure of serving in the Senate with him, his reputation and his achievements, and most of all his character preceded him,” Schumer added. “I always admired his steadfast advocacy for veterans and for Americans with disabilities and his love for his country. Rest in peace, Senator Dole.”
With Associated Press
