Former Senator Bob Dole lies in state in U.S. Capitol By CBS News

Former Senator and World War Two veteran. Bob Dole is lying in state. In the Capitol, rotunda. He died on Sunday at the age of 98. After battling stage 4. Lung cancer Dole spent nearly three decades on Capitol Hill and served as the Senate Republican leader. For more than a decade. He ran for president three times, but was ultimately unsuccessful Dole was awarded two Purple Hearts from his service in the war in which he was very badly. Wounded tributes have poured in from across the country.

Leaders from both sides of the aisle paid tribute to Dole at the Ceremony President. Biden was one of the speakers who reflected on, Bob Dole’s Legacy. Robert Joseph goal.

He belongs here in this place. In this Temple of Liberty. Bob Dole. Love this capital.

It’s where he served the nation shaped by the figures that surround us. Washington Jefferson, who said us on our path who sends Bob belongs here.

He too was a giant of our history and that’s not hyperbole. It’s real.

Of Witten Grace of principle, on Persistence of courage and conviction. The president ended his speech saying, his friendship with Dole was real. And though, they often disagreed. They found ways to work together. I want to bring in CBS News Congressional correspondent, Kris Van Cleave now. Hi Chris, of course, it is a great honor to lie in state. Can you tell us a little more about the ceremony?

Sure, and it is an honor reserved for a select few dates to 1852 the first time a member of Congress or anyone was able to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda. So this is a solemn and you know, long-lasting honor that that is bestowed upon a select few of America’s leaders. The ceremony was smaller than it, maybe would have otherwise been because of pandemic, protocols. So it was limited.

To family friends members of Congress, distinguished guests only and while there is a viewing going on, it is again only open to family friends and staff here to be able to pay their respects. To Senator Dole as he lies in state tonight, you know, Senator by excuse me, President, Biden who served with Senator Dole for almost 25 years said. In his mind, Senator Dole belongs here in the capital. So it is fitting that he has spent.

Adding 11 final night here. We heard from the speaker of the house. We heard from the Senate majority and minority leader, as well as the president. Ceremony was only about an hour, but there were certainly common themes, the ability for Senator Dole to get things done to make things work, his patriotism, his perseverance, his ability to overcome setbacks and struggle, his humor, and this idea of finding bipartisanship through

Civility. Something that seems like a distant memory, almost from how politics is working today. It’s going to say it’s so refreshing to hear politicians from both sides of the aisle, you know, praise a leader from another party. So, you know, tell us a little bit more about what some of the other lawmakers said, including Senate, minority leader McConnell, and Majority Leader Schumer because, of course, Dole was a Republican, and he even endorsed former President Trump in 2016, but yet he is that

Rare sort of political figure that really did seem to transcend party lines. Do you think we see something similar in any of our leaders today?

Well, you see glimpses of bipartisanship up here and there are still some friendships that cross the aisle, but you know, what was governing with Civility and respect and humor seems to have given way often to Rancor and Discord. I mean, it’s hard to think of a Twitter fight breaking out between Joe Biden and Bob Dole back. When both were Senators, it is a different time for sure. Now, you had

Senator Senator and Republican leaders. Senate, Senator, Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, who is the longest serving? Republican leader. The only the only one who served longer than Bob Dole. In fact, he talked about Senator Doles, very first speech on the house floor, after he was elected, marking, 24 years from when he was to the day when he was wounded in World War Two. And what Senator Dole chose to talk about that day, which he described as

As the task ahead is Monumental. He was talking about helping Americans with Disabilities. It would take, you know, years decades, but he would be successful in passing, the Americans with Disabilities Act. So that was one of the things that that Mitch McConnell remarked on. He talked about how he built a brighter future for other people. That was a legacy of Senator Dole speaker, Pelosi honed in on two things, the ACT worthy, something that

That was a motivating factor for Senator Dole was to act worthy of American ideals. She said, we all need to resolve to meet his challenge to act worthy of those ideals and there was much talk about a moment in 2018, when George W, George Herbert, Walker Bush, the 41st president United States who was an opponent of Bob Dole’s for the Republican nomination in 1988, a campaign that got a little nasty. When when mr. Bush, when the president was lying in state.

Elf, there’s a very memorable image of Bob, Dole being helped to his feet out of his wheelchair. So he could salute the form of political rival as he held back, a motion. That was a story that we’ve heard a lot today as well. And of course, you know, his humor was rather famous among his colleagues President Biden spoke a little bit about his friendship with Dole as we mentioned, but even shared an anecdote about Senator Dole sense of humor, let’s listen.

He did have great wit they once asked him. Why in God’s name. Did he vote to continue to fund Amtrak?

He said, because if you didn’t Biden, would stay overnight and cause more trouble. I commuted every day. It’s true story. He was the deciding vote. Very cute. There. Chris. What else did President Biden? Share about their friendship sort of outside of the legislative realm? Well, they date back to a time in the Senate where it was more Joe and Bob than the senator. The Democratic, senator the Democratic gentleman,

Delaware in the Republican, gentleman from Kansas, you know, it was a different time so that you had relationships that were built, not only with folks in your own party, but across the aisle friendships that endured, you might disagree during the day at work, but you’d still go to dinner after or your family’s would be friends, those sorts of things. So, they have a friendship that spans decades, you know, in sometimes they were very ideologically. Opposed. There were other issues where they, where they lined up, you know, Senator Dole when he was in the house, voted for the civil.

Rights Act in the 60s as well as the Voting Rights act act in the 1960s. Those were not guaranteed Republican votes. So he, he had a swing some times where he would find agreement where he was he worked for example, on Child Nutrition and food stamps. Again, not necessarily a republican issue per se but there’s certainly work, there was times where there was Common Ground. There were times where there was not but there was always mutual respect and that underlying their friendship. We know President, Biden visited, senator.

All shortly after he was diagnosed with stage four, cancer earlier this year shortly, after the president was sworn into office. So, this was a friendship that endured decades and decades. Well, Kris Van Cleave in Washington. Thank you so much for telling us about it. We appreciate it. Sure thing.