WASHINGTON — Jimmy Carter’s final journey to the nation’s capital Tuesday was a solemn affair, a vivid if rare reminder that the presidents, Supreme Court justices and members of Congress can come together for the greater good.

Washington’s VIPs engaged Tuesday in a time-honored American ritual. They gathered to eulogize the 39th president as he laid in state in the middle of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

There was no easy way to find political distinctions between the words of Republicans or Democrats as the leaders took turns offering short tributes to Carter, who died Dec. 29 at his home in Plains. He was 100, the first president to ever live so long.

“Jimmy Carter was that all too rare example of a gifted man who also walks with humility, modesty and grace,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.

“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, a Louisiana Republican.

Carter’s casket left his presidential library and museum in Atlanta Tuesday morning, headed for Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

From there, the Carter party headed to the nation’s capital on Special Air Mission 39, so named because Carter was the 39th president. The plane is designated Air Force One when the incumbent president is aboard.

It landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, just outside Washington, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

From there, the procession went to the U.S. Navy Memorial in downtown Washington, honoring Carter’s service as a Naval officer. The remains were transferred to a horse-drawn carriage that took the casket the 1.2 miles to the Capitol.

As the carriage slowly moved towards the Rotunda, Washington seemed suddenly quiet. The casket entered the Capitol around 5 p.m. to the Rotunda, where 12 presidents had lay in state, starting with Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

Hundreds crowded into the event. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sat next to Justices Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by Republicans, and Elena Kagan, named to the court by President Barack Obama. Next to them sat Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat.

Speakers praise faith, works

Senators and members of Congress from both parties stood together. Speakers talked from a podium next to a statue of President Gerald Ford, who Carter defeated in 1976 to win the presidency. The U.S. Army Band Brass Quintet played Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water.”

Senate Chaplain Barry Black spoke first, saying, “We thank you for the inspiration of a consequential and laudable life.”

Next was Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, who recalled how Carter “focused on making the lives of his fellow men better.”

Johnson, the House speaker, said he was 4 years old when Carter was elected. He praised Carter for his work and his faith.

“In the face of discrimination, he reminded us that we are all made in the image of God. And if you were to ask him why he did it all, he would likely point to his faith,” Johnson said.

Harris recalled how Carter was far ahead of his time as a champion for energy conservation and environmental protection. He appointed huge numbers of Black and women judges, she said.

She cited “the life of a man whose marks will echo for generations to come.”

After the speeches, the VIPs quietly then viewed the casket, and the viewing was open to the public. People were waiting in freezing cold Washington, where sidewalks and streets remained caked with ice and full of slush after Monday’s 7-inch snowstorm.

Carter will lie in state until 7 a.m. Thursday, followed by a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral. His body will then travel back to Plains for a private service at Maranatha Baptist Church, followed by burial.

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