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House Speaker Johnson rejects request for Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at Capitol

House Speaker Johnson cited precedent limiting Capitol honors to presidents and select officials, denying Jesse Jackson's family request despite bipartisan praise for the civil rights leader.

  • On February 20, 2026, House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to lie in honor at the Capitol, citing eligibility rules. Sources said the decision was not political.
  • Citing precedent, officials said the practice reserves the honor for presidents, select military and government officials, and sources told CNN the rejection followed past precedent and a recent rule change limiting the honor to former U.S. presidents.
  • Lying in honor generally involves placing the casket in the Capitol Rotunda, where the public can offer respects, as with Rosa Parks in 2005 and John Lewis in 2020, and Jackson was praised for his activism.
  • Jackson's family announced he will lie in state at Rainbow PUSH headquarters in Chicago next week, with services to follow in South Carolina and Washington, D.C.
  • Requests for Charlie Kirk and Dick Cheney were also denied, sparking debate about how the nation honors civil rights leaders, according to sources.
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Associated Press NewsAssociated Press News
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House Speaker Mike Johnson denies request for Rev. Jesse Jackson to lie in honor in US Capitol

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office has denied a request to have the late Rev. Jesse Jackson lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda due to precedents that such honors are usually only designated for presidents.

·United States
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CNNCNN
+20 Reposted by 20 other sources
Lean Left

House Speaker Johnson rejects request for Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at Capitol

House Speaker Mike Johnson has denied a request for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to lie in honor at the United States Capitol, citing past precedent over how the deaths of other high-profile figures were handled, according to sources familiar with the matter.

·Atlanta, United States
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The Source broke the news in on Friday, February 20, 2026.
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