All about schedule of late President George H.W. Bush's funeral and Capitol Rotunda mourning salutations
Tuesday, December 04, 2018
VietPress USA (Dec. 4th, 2018):The following is scheduled plans for the funeral and Capitol Rotunda ceremony for mourning salutations.
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Everything you need to know about George HW Bush funeral and Capitol viewing
By Jack MooreDecember 4, 2018 11:50 am
The former president's body lies in state at the U.S. Capitol for public viewing ahead of an invitation-only state funeral to be held at the National Cathedral. In addition, a "national day of mourning" declared by President Donald Trump will shutter government offices across the county Wednesday. From road closures to more details about the ceremonies, here's everything you need to know about the tributes and events this week in D.C.
WASHINGTON — Solemn ceremonies to honor the life of former President George H.W. Bush are being held throughout D.C. this week — the first time in more than a decade the capital city has hosted a state funeral for a former president.
The former president’s body lies in state at the U.S. Capitol for public viewing ahead of an invitation-only state funeral to be held at the National Cathedral. In addition, a “national day of mourning” declared by President Donald Trump will shutter government offices across the country Wednesday.
From road closures to more details about the ceremonies, here’s everything you need to know about the tributes and events this week in D.C.
When and how can I pay my respects at the Capitol?
The body of the late president has lain in the Capitol Rotunda since Monday evening, and thousands of mourners have streamed into the Capitol to pay their respects.
The public viewing at the Capitol continues through 7 a.m. Wednesday. If you can’t make it to the Capitol, you can watch a livestream of the proceedings.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to visit the Capitol. It’s recommended that you take Metro as there are several road closures in effect throughout the area. The closest Metro stops are Capitol South, Federal Center SW and Union Station.
All visitors must enter through the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. The lines begin on 1st Street NE between Independence and Constitution avenues. You can have a cellphone with you, but it must be turned off. No picture-taking or electronic devices are allowed while visitors are in the Rotunda. Also note that flowers, sealed envelopes and other offerings or tokens are not allowed inside the Capitol Visitor Center or the Capitol.
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Regular public tours of the Capitol and Capitol Visitor Center are closed until 9 a.m. Dec. 6.
Also, the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree Lighting Ceremony originally scheduled for Dec. 5 has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday Dec. 6 on the West Front of the Capitol.
When is the state funeral? Is it open to the public?
The state funeral for the former president will be on Wednesday at the Washington National Cathedral. The funeral is not open to the public, but you can watch on TV or online. WTOP will stream the proceedings online.
You can leave a message of condolence for the Bush family on the National Cathedral site.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will be in attendance at the invitation-only funeral but are not expected to speak. The former president’s son, former President George W. Bush, will give a eulogy, as will former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson and presidential historian Jon Meacham.
Where are the road closures and when do they go into effect?
If you’re driving through D.C. Wednesday, be prepared for road closures as the former president’s motorcade departs the Capitol Wednesday morning for the state funeral at the National Cathedral.
D.C. police have provided a map of the route the motorcade will take, which includes large parts of Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown D.C., Massachusetts Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue near the National Cathedral. The road closures associated with the presidential motorcade go into effect at 9:15 a.m. and last until about 11 a.m.
Here’s the map provided by D.C. police:
Then, around 11 a.m., the motorcade will prepare to travel from the National Cathedral to Joint Base Andrews to return the president’s casket to Texas.
This will bring closures to roads and Interstates between the cathedral and Joint Base Andrews that are expected to last until 1:30 p.m. Expect heavy traffic delays and road closures to side streets.
Federal is government is closed. Will the mail still be delivered?
President Donald Trump’s order closing the federal government for a national day of mourning Wednesday means most regular mail service will not be delivered Wednesday and post offices will be closed, according to the U.S. Postal Service.
If I’m a federal employee, how does the national day of mourning affect my pay and leave?
The Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s human-resources agency, issued guidance this week explaining the national day of mourning would be treated like a federal holiday when it comes to employees’ pay and leave benefits.
Most federal employees will have the day off, but many who work in national security and defense fields will still be required to report to work. Employees who work Wednesday will be eligible for holiday premium pay, OPM said.
What about local governments in the area?
Maryland state government agencies will be closed Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced.
D.C. government agencies will remain open and operating on normal schedules, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
How does this state funeral compare to others?
All former presidents are entitled to have a state funeral. Guidelines for what the ceremonies should look like date back to the mid-1800s and are largely influenced by tradition.
The solemn series of ceremonies this week were planned in advance by the former president and his advisers and are generally in line with other recent presidential funerals.
The National Cathedral previously hosted the state funerals of Presidents Gerald Ford in 2007, Ronald Reagan in 2004 and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1969. Bush, who served as a congressman before becoming president, is the 12th president to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda.
The first presidential state funeral was held in 1841 for William Henry Harrison, who was the first president to die in office, just 30 days after his inauguration.
Some presidential funerals — including the 1963 funeral for the assassinated John F. Kennedy — have included formal funeral processions through downtown D.C. Bush’s funeral does not, which was his choice.
What comes after the state funeral
After the services at that National Cathedral, Bush will be returned to Houston to lie in repose at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church before burial Thursday at his family plot on the grounds of his presidential library in College Station, Texas. His final resting place will be alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukemia in 1953 at age 3.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
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