As the body of the Rev. Billy Graham was lying in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before his burial Friday in his native North Carolina, some lawmakers back home were working on a more permanent tribute to the man who was known as America’s pastor.

Those lawmakers and Gov. Roy Cooper were taking steps to have a statue of Graham placed inside the Capitol, a report said Wednesday.

Each state gets to place two statues inside the Capitol, but those honored must be deceased. Lawmakers passed legislation in 2015 calling for a statue of Graham to replace that of Charles Aycock, a former North Carolina governor, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.

Graham, a Charlotte-born evangelist who was known to millions around the world, died February 21 at age 99. During his career that spanned over six decades, he gave spiritual advice to American presidents and other world leaders.

About a week after his death, Cooper took the next step.

“I ask the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the State of North Carolina’s request to replace the statue of Governor Charles B. Aycock in the Statuary Hall Section, and to provide a new statue of the late Rev. William Franklin ‘Billy’ Graham Jr.,” Cooper wrote in a formal letter to the committee.

The next step in the 10-step process is a formal request to the Architect of the Capitol, which Lt. Gov. Dan Forest sent on Tuesday, the report said, and the Joint Committee on Library Action to accept or deny the request.

Related: Michael W. Smith Brings Country to Tears with ‘Just As I Am’

If approved, a statue of Graham would replace that of Aycock, a Democratic governor from 1901 to 1905 who was a segregationist and white supremacist.

In 2003, Congress passed a law allowing states to replace their statues, the report said. Several states have since added contemporary figures such as Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford, and Helen Keller, an advocate for the blind and deaf.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

The statues are placed across several areas in the Capitol, including National Statuary Hall, the Rotunda, and the second-floor corridors of the House and Senate.

North Carolina’s second statue is of Zebulon B. Vance, a Confederate officer, two-time governor and U.S. senator.

This Fox News piece is used by permission.

Read more at Fox News:
Dolly Parton’s Nonprofit Marks 100 Millionth Book Donation, Gives It to Library of Congress
Kevin Smith Tearfully Recounts Near-Fatal Heart Attack
Barbra Streisand Slammed for ‘Shameful’ Decision to Clone Dead Dog Twice