Advance Notice: Briefs

Biden, Bill Clinton to speak at Dingell memorials

By: Susan J. Demas - February 10, 2019 11:29 pm

Bill Clinton (left) and Joe Biden (right)

The late U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) will be eulogized by former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Joe Biden, among other political leaders who have been longtime friends.

The office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) on Sunday announced speakers for memorials this week scheduled in both Dearborn and Washington, D.C. John Dingell died on Thursday at age 92.

Biden is slated to speak at services on Tuesday at Church of the Divine Child in Dearborn. U.S. Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.)* and Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) are also scheduled to memorialize Dingell. Upton has described Debbie Dingell as “one of my best friends” and the pair often team up on legislation.

Pallbearers at Tuesday’s service will include John Dingell’s former staff.

A funeral mass is slated for Thursday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington. Clinton, who spoke to Dingell just before his passing, is scheduled to speak. So is Dingell’s longtime friend, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who visited him in Dearborn last week. The final announced speaker is former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

Pallbearers at Thursday’s service will include former members of Congress and Dingell’s colleagues.

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Susan J. Demas

Susan J. Demas is a 23-year journalism veteran and one of the state’s foremost experts on Michigan politics, appearing on C-SPAN, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and WKAR-TV’s “Off the Record.” In addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief, she is the Advance’s chief columnist, writing on women, LGBTQ people, the state budget, the economy and more. For almost five years, Susan was the Editor and Publisher of Inside Michigan Politics, the most-cited political newsletter in the state. Susan’s award-winning political analysis has run in more than 100 national, international and regional media outlets, including the Guardian U.K., NBC News, the New York Times, the Detroit News and MLive.