House Speaker Mike Johnson denies request for Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at Capitol, citing precedent
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- The late Rev. Jesse Jackson will not lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda after House Speaker Mike Johnson's office denied the family's request, citing precedent that reserves this honor primarily for select military and government officials.
- The decision reflects ongoing political divisions over who is memorialized in the Capitol, with no specific rules governing eligibility, requiring concurrence from both the House and Senate.
- The Jackson family plans memorial services in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, with final services scheduled in Chicago on March 6 and 7.
- Civil rights leaders like Rep. John Lewis and Rosa Parks have previously been honored in the Capitol, but such recognitions for private citizens are rare and often contentious.
- NAACP President Derrick Johnson
