Bob Dole to Lie in State at Capitol

The body of the late Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas 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, the AP reports. The US Capitol has long been considered the most suitable place for the nation to pay final tribute to its most eminent citizens by having their remains lie in state. Dole died Sunday at the age of 98. He shaped tax and foreign policy and worked vigorously to help the disabled, enshrining protections against discrimination in employment, education, and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In September 2017, Congress voted to award Dole its highest expression of appreciation for distinguished contributions to the nation, a Congressional Gold Medal. In 2019, it promoted him from Army captain to colonel. On Sunday, President Biden ordered flags at the White House and other federal buildings, including embassies and consulates, to be flown at half-staff until Dec. 9 to honor the man he described as "a statesman like few in our history and a war hero among the greatest of the Greatest Generation," the Washington Post reports. (Biden was among many former Senate colleagues who paid tribute to Dole on Sunday.)