Lawmakers scramble to attend Kennedy funeral
By Jordy Yager and Mike Soraghan
Posted: 08/27/09 02:06 PM
Congressional officials are in the process of finalizing transportation and security arrangements for the dozens of lawmakers expected to fly to Boston on Friday to attend Sen. Edward Kennedy’s funeral service.
Lawmakers themselves are scrambling to rearrange their weekend plans so that they may attend Kennedy’s funeral service in Boston on Saturday, where President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver one of the eulogies.
An extreme example is Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), who heard the news of Kennedy’s death while on a congressional delegation trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. McGovern cut that trip short and embarked on a marathon 26-hour journey from Kabul to Boston, with stops in Kuwait and Germany along the way, to ensure arrival in Boston for the Kennedy funeral.
“When we heard the news, there was never a question of whether Jim would come back, but how fast he could make it,” said Michael Mershon, spokesman for McGovern.
“Ted Kennedy was always there for him. Always. And it went beyond the political and legislative stuff. When Jim and Lisa’s first child was born, the very first call that Jim got at the hospital was from Ted Kennedy. And he wants to be there to say goodbye.”
McGovern is expected to arrive in Boston on Friday afternoon to attend the public viewing in addition to the funeral on Saturday.
Other lawmakers are opting for a shorter Congress-led journey from the Washington area to the Boston region.
The Senate sergeant at arms's office is in the process of coordinating at least one bus to take senators to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where they will board a plane to fly to an undisclosed airfield in the Boston area. But the details have not all been ironed out.
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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-scramble-to-attend-kennedy-funeral-2009-08-27.html
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