Amid a Pandemic, Supporters Hope John Lewis Can Still Lie in State in the Capitol

When Representative Elijah E. Cummings became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol last fall, the public poured into Statuary Hall, a choir from Morgan State University sang and admirers cried and hugged.

That was before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything.

Now, with the Capitol closed to tourists, and those allowed inside the building encouraged to stay six feet apart, congressional leaders are puzzling over how to safely and appropriately honor Representative John Lewis, a 17-term congressman from Georgia, the senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus and an icon of the civil rights movement who died on Friday.

Congress has honored more than 40 individuals by allowing their remains to lie in state in the Capitol, including, most recently, Mr. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, President George Bush and Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. The occasions have drawn thousands of people, many of them traveling from far away and lining up for hours to pay their last respects.

Many of his supporters believe that such an honor would be fitting for Mr. Lewis, who is widely regarded as an American hero.