George W. Bush Delivers Stirring Tribute to Father at State Funeral
*By Carlo Versano*
Financial markets closed, mail delivery stopped, federal offices shut down, and bells tolled as the nation paused to remember the life of President George H.W. Bush, who was memorialized during a state funeral at Washington's National Cathedral on Wednesday.
At 11:00 a.m., right on schedule, the famously punctual George W. Bush led his family into the cathedral under cloudy skies and chilly temperatures. In the front pew sat the other four members of what's known as the most exclusive club in the world ー Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and their wives.
It is believed to be the first time Presidents Trump and Obama have met or spoken since the former's inauguration. As Trump sat, he shook the hands of the Obamas as Bill Clinton glanced over. Hillary Clinton stared straight ahead.
The 43rd president delivered a stirring and humorous eulogy for his father, with whom he had a famously complicated but loving relationship. He was joined by Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister, Alan Simpson, the former senator from Wyoming, and Jon Meacham, the presidential biographer.
Meacham called President Bush the "last great soldier-statesman," and said his famous "thousand points of light" phrase was uttered alongside Lincoln's "better angels of our nature" line from his first inaugural as "companion verses in America's national hymn."
George W. Bush remembered his father as "the brightest of 1,000 points of light," again hitting on a phrase that President Trump once [mocked](https://youtu.be/ZbYZOHq2LEQ?t=3508).
"Through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter could have," Bush said, breaking down.
"Dad is hugging Robin, and holding mom's hand again." Robin was the three-year-old daughter that the Bushes lost to leukemia in 1953.
The Bush family made a surprise visit to the Capitol rotunda on Tuesday evening to thank mourners who paid respects over two days as president lied in state. That followed a touching moment in which former senator Bob Dole was helped out of his wheelchair to salute the casket of his fellow WWII vet.
Bush, who served as the 41st president for a single term at a critical time for geopolitics, led a life that intersected with key moments of modern American history. A naval aviator turned congressman, RNC chair during Watergate, ambassador, CIA chief, vice and finally president, was also the patriarch of a political dynasty, as well as a respected family man and statesman.
"Some have said this is an end of an era," Rev. Russell Jones Levenson said from the pulpit. "But it doesn't have to be. Perhaps this is an invitation to fill the void that has been left behind."
President Biden and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell meet at the White House today for the first time since Powell's renomination to the position. The President and the Fed Chair discussed the economy and historically high inflation, as new data shows inflation may be cooling slightly. Morning Consult economic analyst Jesse Wheeler joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss how the Biden administration at the U.S. central bank can work together to combat soaring prices for American consumers.
In the second part of Cheddar's talk with Governor Asa Hutchinson, the Republican from Arkansas discussed his state's abortion trigger law and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas law that would prevent social media platform moderation currently being held up by the U.S. Supreme Court, and rumors of his 2024 presidential run. "I did go to New Hampshire. I am testing the waters out there, so no decision at this point. But we're looking at it," he said, noting that if former President Donald Trump runs, it would not affect his own decision.
Cheddar Politics looks at the ongoing efforts to pass meaningful gun safety laws in both Chambers of Congress following multiple mass shootings. Lisa Hagen, senior political reporter for U.S. News and World Report, helps break down why Senators are hopeful that a modest bipartisan gun safety package might be able to overcome a filibuster.
Join Cheddar News as we break down the top headlines this morning including updates on the Tulsa medical center shooting, Johnny Depp V. Amber Heard verdict, and Democrats push for gun control reform.
After two subway shootings in two months and the more recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, Mayor Eric Adams is calling for gun detection scanners to be installed in New York City subways. The tech would be similar to that used in sporting arenas, however, experts note multiple difficulties with such a setup including the need for nearby human operators.
Catching you up on what you need to know on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, House lawmakers hold an emergency hearing on gun control measures in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, the Supreme Court temporarily blocks Texas' law stopping social media moderation, and the James Webb Space Telescope gets a new mission.
With the baby formula in the United States surging to an out-of-stock rate of 70 percent, the FDA has given Abbott permission to reopen its Michigan plant amid the crisis and authorized foreign imports. Professor Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner and current president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing shortage and its wide impact. “As difficult as things is in urban areas, they’re even worse in small communities and tribal areas where parents can't just go to the next store on the corner," he said. Pitts also noted that the Abbott factory was a "disaster" prior to its shutdown and that it would have been "regulatory malpractice" to have left it open.
Cheddar's Megan Pratz reports from the ground in Uvalde, Texas where the community's grief and frustration with lawmakers and police officers grows as more details emerge.
