Biden closes government as 'mark of respect' for late former President Jimmy Carter
Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, President Biden on Monday signed an executive order closing all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on Jan. 9.
The closures, which Biden described as a "mark of respect" for the 39th president, will be in effect on the day of the late former president's funeral.
Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and his funeral will take place at Washington National Cathedral, according to statements from the White House and Carter Center.
Biden signed a proclamation on Sunday, declaring Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning and ordering all American flags to fly at half-staff for the next 30 days.
JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100
"I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.," Biden wrote in a statement. "I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance."
Carter, whose family owned a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, attended the United States Naval Academy and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.
He was later elected state senator, Georgia’s 76th governor and president of the United States — playing key roles in the creation of the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy, conservation efforts, and nuclear nonproliferation.
JIMMY, ROSALYNN CARTER'S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, ORGANIZATION SAYS
"As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people — and his faith in the people was boundless, just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial," according to a statement from the White House. "Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God‑given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy."
Carter's late wife, Rosalynn, stood by his side for more than 77 years.