GINGRICH, OTHERS TO ATTEND FUNERAL

House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and the Missouri congressional delegation plan to fly from Washington to attend Rep. Bill Emerson's funeral Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau.

Emerson's chief of staff Lloyd Smith said all members of the Missouri delegation have been invited, along with other selected members of Congress.

"The total number will not be more than 20 members. The speaker has been invited," Smith said. "More wanted to attend but we will be having a memorial service in Washington that all the members will be invited to."

Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Archdiocese will officiate at the funeral, along with Dr. Jim Ford, chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. Also officiating will be Dr. E.C. Brasington and the Rev. Charles Dreyer.

Smith has also had representatives from both the White House and Bob Dole's office inquiring about the services, but neither has said whether someone from those offices will attend.

Julie Green, the president's press secretary, did say President Bill Clinton will be in Europe this week and will be unable to attend Emerson's services. Vice President Al Gore has not stated his intent on the matter.

Emerson's body will lie in state from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Old St. Vincent's Church in Cape Girardeau.

KFVS Channel 12 will cover the funeral services live beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau, Mike Beecher, news director, said.

Gingrich and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., both issued statements Monday in praise of Emerson and expressing sympathy for his family.

"He refused to lose hope that he could beat the cancer which had taken hold of him," Gingrich said. "Despite the pain he must have been in -- but never let on -- he served the families of Missouri's 8th Congressional District with pride and dignity."

Just after the House was gaveled into session Monday afternoon, the House chaplain dedicated his opening prayer to Emerson.

"We are grateful for his concern for the issues of great importance to our nation and for his abiding service to the people of Missouri," said the Rev. Ford.

Dole said Emerson, who died Saturday of lung cancer at 58, "served with grace, guts and good humor."

"For the past 16 years, few Americans have fought as hard and as successfully for the interests of rural communities and farm families as did Bill Emerson," said Dole, who left the Senate this month to run for president after 35 years in Congress.

"Bill was a common-sense conservative who never forgot those in need of help," Dole said.

Indeed, Democratic and Republican colleagues alike praised Emerson's support for U.S. food distribution programs, including the Food for Peace international food aid program, and cited his work on food stamps as an example of his compassion. Emerson chaired the Agriculture Committee panel on nutrition.

"This is a man who cared very much about hunger issues and nutrition issues and he will be sadly missed, because those are not great power issues," said Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo. "Hungry people don't have political action committees. They have lost a friend, and we have lost a friend."

Emerson also was instrumental in shaping the new farm bill, which intends to gradually end subsidy payments to producers. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said he served with Emerson since both came to Congress in 1981.

"Through four farm bills and countless legislative battles, Bill has been a champion for farmers and ranchers in Missouri and across the country," Roberts said.

(Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press.)