US lawmakers paid their respects to Jimmy Carter on Tuesday, as the body of the country’s 39th president arrived at the US Capitol.
“Today, we come together to celebrate the life of a man whose works will resonate for generations to come,” Vice President Kamala Harris told distinguished guests and members of the Carter family gathered in the Rotunda of the US Capitol.
Carter, a one-term Democratic president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, will lie in state in Washington for two days, allowing the American public to pay their final respects.
Harris credited Carter’s role in negotiating the Camp David Accords, instituting ethics reforms, and founding the Departments of Education and Energy.
Congressional leaders also recalled his presidency, which came during a tumultuous time in American history.
“President Carter’s life, his selfless service, his fight against cancer, and his lasting contributions to his fellow man are all truly remarkable,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “President Carter was willing to roll up his sleeves to serve and get the job done.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday that Carter was “one of the most honest men to ever serve as president.” He was a gentleman in every sense of the word: kind, honorable, intelligent, humble, deeply patriotic. These are the virtues he brought to the Oval Office, at a time when trust in government was arguably at an all-time low in the 20th century.
Carter’s presidency began while the country was still recovering from the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, the latter of which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the decline of American confidence in public institutions.
Carter’s term (1977-1981) was marked by economic inflation and the crises in Iran and Afghanistan.
“President Carter was a man who served his country. He loved America. I didn’t agree with all of his policies, but you could agree with his patriotism,” said Republican Rep. Ralph Norman at VOA.
Carter was the longest-serving American president, dying at age 100. His post-White House career, traveling the world, engaged in diplomatic and charitable activities, redefined the way American presidents lived after their terms in office.
“Jimmy Carter had a presidency during a time of tumult — the Iran hostage crisis, inflation. Frankly, it’s no different than Joe Biden’s presidency in some ways,” Republican Rep. Mike Lawler told VOA. “But I think Jimmy Carter was always seen by the American people as an honest man, someone who really cared deeply about this country and its people and who, in his post-presidential life, was certainly very focused on what he could do to help American people and his work with Habitat for Humanity.
According to the Architect of the Capitol, only 46 people have lain in state or honor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol since the founding of the country. Carter’s remains will return to his home state of Georgia on Thursday for a private family burial.
Kateryna Lisunova and Mykhailo Komadovsky contributed to this report.