The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg laid in state at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, becoming the first woman in the countrys history to be honored this way. Politicians, military leaders, and Ginsburgs family and friends were among those who paid respects in front of her flag-draped casket placed in the Capitols Statuary Hall. It is my sad honor to welcome so many who loved Justice Ginsburg to this celebration of her life here in the United States Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement, calling her petite in size, monumental in impact. 2020 Democratic presidential nominee and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden also attended the ceremony to honor the legendary jurist. Biden noted that he was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during Ginsburgs confirmation process when she was nominated by then President Bill Clinton in 1993. It was like when I met her when I did her hearing. I was the chairman of the committee when she was confirmed, Biden said of Ginsburg. Wonderful memories. Bryant Johnson, Ginsburgs personal trainer, did three push-ups to pay tribute to the liberal icon, who was consistent in her workouts and became an unlikely fitness role model. U.S. President Donald Trump paid his respects to Ginsburg on Thursday when she laid in repose at the top of the steps of the Supreme Court building, where tens of thousands of public mourners lined up to bid their farewell. Lying in state is a tribute reserved for distinguished government officials and military officers, when their caskets are displayed in the Capitol or a government building, either in Washington, D.C. or at the state level. Lying in repose is the tradition in which remains of the deceased is made available for public viewing in a building other than the U.S. Capitol. A renowned champion of womens rights, Ginsburg died last week at the age of 87 due to complications related to metastatic pancreas cancer. She was the second woman appointed to the highest court in the United States. Ginsburg will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, which is across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., according to the Supreme Court. Trump will name Ginsburgs replacement on Saturday afternoon, with multiple media outlets reporting on Friday that he will pick Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, to fill the seat. Any Supreme Court nominee needs to be confirmed by the Senate with a simple majority vote. Republicans, who have a 53-47 advantage in the chamber, appear to have enough votes to approve Trumps candidate despite fierce pushback from Democrats.
