Aides: Byrd to lie in repose in Senate chamber
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/29/art.capitolbldg4.gi.jpg caption="The body of Sen. Robert Byrd will lie in repose Thursday in the Senate chamber."]Washington (CNN) - The body of Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, will lie in repose in the U.S. Senate chamber on Thursday, two Senate aides familiar with the plans told CNN.
Byrd, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Congress, died Monday. He was 92. Byrd served for six years in the House before moving to the Senate, where he served nine terms.
Byrd will lie in repose in a closed casket from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, a senior Senate aide said. Senators and others will be asked to be in the chamber at 10:30 a.m., when Senate chaplain Barry Black will give a prayer.
It was unclear whether members of the public would be on the floor or watching the proceedings from the visitors' gallery above.
Byrd's funeral is planned for 11 a.m. Friday in West Virginia, the aide said, with its location and other details to be announced later.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has ordered flags flown at half-staff at state facilities in Byrd's honor, and ordered the lights of the state Capitol dome turned off until further notice.
On Monday, West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant said there will be no election this year to fill the remaining time in Byrd's term, and that the election will take place in 2012. But the timing of Byrd's death contributed to confusion about filling the remainder of his term.
Two elections will be held in November 2012, Tennant said - one to fill the remaining two months of Byrd's term and one for the new six-year term in the Senate that begins in January 2013.
- CNN's Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
Nice, he can stink up the Senate for a few more days. Haven't we seen enough of the Grand Wizard?
Oh NO !!
The republicans won't get to yell NO NO NO NO NO that day !!
RIP Senator Byrd. You'll be missed.
So, West Virginia will not be fully represented in the Senate for almost two years?!?!? How does that make sense?
When is the goverment going to allow all resources to help with skimming. These little party boats pulling boom is a joke. (I live on the gulf coast) I see it with my own eyes. The local media have planes showing where there are hardly any large skimmers further out. Where are they? There are shrimp boats sitting in port in Bayou la Batre waiting to help. Why is the goverment taking so long in allowing other countries to help too.
The Whale (specialized skimmer that can skim off 20 million gal a DAY) still sitting in port because it has yet to be approved.
THIS IS A COMPLETE FAILURE ON THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT!
The government has done just as much damage because of red tape and stopping progress.
No one will answer why it is taking so long.....
Byrd lying still in senate chamber? Isn't that what he's been doing for the past 20 years?
Term limits, shmirm limits... The reason Byrd had such a long career is because republicans could not come up with even a single viable alternative! They were all just a bunch of nobody losers!
A KKK member does not deserve this honor. He should be buried in his home town without any fanfare.
Senator Byrd was a good man of
substance and good moral fiber.
May he rest in peace.
But when I read of anyone who served
that long in the senate it brings back
to mind that we need term limits in
the house and senate.
It is ridiculous to have career politicians
in our chambers. That is not the way it
was meant to be and there should be no
such thing as an icon in either chamber.
You bring your ideas in for one term and
you're done. No retirement and no free medical
insurance. They should receive no better
benefits or income than the people they represent.
If they don't have that attitude they don't belong
in office. Do the words "servants of the people "
mean anything ?
Blessing of God with
Byrd
I hope he is positioned close enough to the Senate floor that he can still vote "aye" on financial reform and on the Kagan nomination.