Maya Rockeymoore Cummings pauses during a ceremony in Statuary Hall for her late husband, Rep. Elijah Cummings, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Pool Photo by Greg Nash/UPI
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., pays his respects. Pool Photo by McClain/UPI
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings pauses during a ceremony in Statuary Hall for her late husband, Rep. Elijah Cummings, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Pool Photo by Al Drago/UPI
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (C) and other members of Congress stop to pay their respects. Pool Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/UPI
Guests walk to Statuary Hall as they arrive for the memorial service for Rep. Cummings. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., walks to the memorial service for Rep. Cummings. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
From left to right, Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, and John Lewis, D-Ga., pay their respects. Pool Photo by Al Drago/UPI
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus gather around Cummings' casket. Pool Photo by Erin Schaff/UPI
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, pauses over Cummings' flag-draped casket. Pool Photo by Joshua Roberts/UPI
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., pay her respects at Cummings' casket. Waiting on the right is Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Pool Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/UPI
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (L), D-Calif., attends the memorial service. Pool Photo by Matt McClain/UPI
Pelosi speaks next to Cummings' flag-draped casket during the memorial service at the Capitol. Pool Photo by Alex Wong/UPI
Cummings had been fighting cancer. He is the first African-American lawmaker to lie in state at the Capitol. Pool Photo by Al Drago/UPI
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings hugs Pelosi at the service. Pool Photo by Greg Nash/UPI
Cummings' casket is carried through the National Statuary Hall for the service. The large room just off the rotunda served as the House chamber for a half-century in the 1800s. Pool Photo by Al Drago/UPI
Thousands of visitors are expected to pass through the Capitol to honor Cummings. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Lying in state at the Capitol is an honor reserved for government officials. Pool Photo by Alex Wong/UPI
Mourners line the Capitol halls as the casket is carried in by honor guard. Pool Photo by Alex Wong/UPI
Members of the Morgan State University Choir sing during the Capitol service. Pool Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/UPI
A military honor guard carries the casket up the east front steps of the Capitol. Pool Photo by Bill Clark/UPI
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and other family members look on as his casket is carried into the Capitol. Pool Photo by Bill Clark/UPI
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party, waits for her husband's casket to be carried into the Capitol. Pool Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI
Pelosi nd Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speak before the start of the service. Pool Photo by Erin Schaff/UPI
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., leads members of the Congressional Black Caucus into Statuary Hall for the memorial service. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Rep. IIhan Omar, D-Minn., arrives with other members of Congress for the memorial services. Pool Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/UPI
Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., center, arrives at the services. Pool Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/UPI
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives at the services. Pool Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/UPI
Black bunting is displayed at Cummings' office at the Oversight and Government Reform hearing room on Capitol Hill on October 17, the day of his death. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Black bunting is displayed at Cummings' seat in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing room. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
A photo of Cummings is pinned in the hallway near his Capitol office. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
The flag at the Capitol is lowered to half-staff in tribute to Cummings. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
The American flag at the White House was also lowered in Cummings' honor. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI
Cummings, shown here in 2008, was chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, giving him a key role in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch. UPI
Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Members of Congress gathered in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to honor late Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, who became the first African-American lawmaker in history to lie in state there.
Cummings' casket arrived at the Capitol late Thursday morning and was placed in the hall. The 12-term Democratic congressman, who'd been fighting cancer, died Oct. 17 at age 68.
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Many lawmakers spoke at Thursday's ceremony. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., led a prayer to start the ceremony and was followed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"It is my official and personal and sad honor to welcome Chairman Elijah Cummings and all who loved him to this celebration of his life," Pelosi said. "Elijah was truly a master of the House. He respected its history and in it, he helped shape America's future."
Pelosi said Cummings was particularly moved by the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, saying once, "We can do better."
"Elijah has said that our children are our living messengers to a future that we will never see," Pelosi added. "For the children, he wanted a future worthy of their aspirations and true to the values of America."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the Baltimore native stayed true to his city's roots, and famously walked its streets amid race-related riots.
"Every night, he rode the train back home and walked the neighborhoods, bullhorn in hand, encouraging unity and peace," McConnell said. "Here's what he said, 'Let's go home. Let's all go home.' Now our distinguished colleague truly has gone home. Home to his Father's house."
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he often sought out Cummings for guidance.
"He was strong. Very strong when necessary. But also kind and caring and honorable. Universally respected and admired in a divided time. His voice could shake mountains, stir the most cynical hearts and inspiring us all to do better ... Our country has lost a giant."
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., considers Cummings a close friend and said earlier Thursday his speech would be the hardest he's ever given.
"He had a smile that could consume his whole face," he said at the ceremony. "But he also had eyes that would pierce through anybody that was standing in his way."
Unlike U.S. presidents, who lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, as George H.W. Bush did last year, Cummings' casket was staged in the National Statuary Hall -- a large room just off the Rotunda that served as the House chamber for a half-century in the 1800s.
Lying in state is an honor reserved for government officials at the Capitol and typically includes a military guard. On Wednesday, Cummings lay in repose, which denotes simply a public viewing, at Baltimore's Morgan State University.
The last people to lie in state at the Capitol were Bush last December and Arizona Sen. John McCain four months earlier.
Cumming's body will be carried to Baltimore for a memorial service and burial Friday. Former President Barack Obama will speak at the service, his spokeswoman said. The 44th president was invited by Cummings' wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings.
"He'll deliver remarks about the remarkable life and legacy of one of this country's finest public servants," Obama communications director Katie Hill said.