Elijah Cummings to lie in state at the Capitol next week

WASHINGTON - Rep. Elijah Cummings will lie in state next Thursday in Statuary Hall after dying early Thursday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday.

The Capitol Hill giant died at age 68 following "complications concerning longstanding health challenges."

A formal memorial service will be held for Cummings, who represented Maryland in the House of Representatives since 1996, for members of Congress, family and special guests. A public viewing will follow.

Funeral services will be held on October 25 at the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, the Baltimore Sun first reported. Cummings worshiped there for decades.

More: Rep. Elijah Cummings' death comes after procedure kept him away from office for weeks

Cummings was outspoken on civil rights and voter access, a passionate promoter of Democratic policies and a fierce critic of the Trump administration. But, he was also noted for his fair and respectful treatment of his Republican counterparts.

He was the son of sharecroppers who went on to become a lawyer, judge, and congressman. He was a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and was currently serving as the Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, playing a central figure in the House's ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that, "In the House, Elijah was our North Star. He was a leader of towering character and integrity, whose stirring voice and steadfast values pushed the Congress and country to rise always to a higher purpose."

It is an honor to lie in state or honor in the Capitol. Others who also received the honor include late President George H.W. Bush and Senator John McCain.