Pandemic, unrest force changes to Inauguration Day
Festivities will be scaled down and mostly virtual
President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated at 10 a.m. Arizona time today.
The coronavirus pandemic and fresh security concerns following a proTrump mob breaching the Capitol on Jan. 6 have combined to force changes to what is a historical American day.
Tickets to the swearing-in ceremony are limited; parade viewing stands have been dismantled near the White House to discourage crowds; inaugural balls have been canceled; and health officials are urging people not to travel and attend. Instead of thousands of people gathering on the National Mall for the festivities, the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will be replaced by a virtual parade that will be televised.
The theme for the event will be “America United.” In an announcement shared first with the Associated Press, the Presidential Inaugural Committee said that the theme “reflects the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together, and creates a path to a brighter future.”
WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated at noon Wednesday, becoming the 46th president of the United States.
But it won’t be a typical inauguration. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and fresh security concerns after supporters of President Donald Trump breached the Capitol on Jan. 6 have combined to force some changes to what is a historical American day.
Most of the events surrounding Biden’s swearing-in will be virtually focused.
What will the day look like?
Biden was supposed to arrive at the nation’s capital the same way he did for decades as a senator: an Amtrak train. However, because of security concerns, he will forgo those plans.
Biden’s affinity for Amtrak is wellknown because of his daily commute for 36 years between Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., while serving as a senator from the First State. The railroad estimated he had traveled 2.1 million miles on its rails.
In a show of bipartisanship, Biden invited top congressional leaders from both parties to a pre-inauguration Mass on Wednesday morning. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., plan to accompany Biden at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, their offices said.
Biden will be sworn in on the steps of the Capitol.
Despite fears that pro-Trump rioters would return to Washington on Inauguration Day, Biden has insisted that he would proceed with his swearing-in ceremony as planned.
“I am not afraid to take the oath outside,” he said.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will then lay a wreath and conduct a Pass in Review inspection of the troops at the Capitol. They will be joined by their spouses, Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff.
The Bidens will receive a presidential escort from 15th Street to the White House after Biden’s swearing-in on the West Front of the Capitol.
What’s different this year?
Biden’s inauguration and the traditional events surrounding it will be scaled down because of the health risks posed by the pandemic.
Tickets to the swearing-in ceremony are limited; parade viewing stands have been dismantled near the White House to discourage crowds; inaugural balls have been canceled; and health officials are urging people not to travel to the nation’s capital attend.
Instead of thousands of people gathering along the National Mall for the festivities, the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will be replaced by a virtual parade that will be televised, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced.
Inauguration Day will consist of virtual events, according to Biden’s inauguration website.
‘America United’ theme
The theme for the event will be “America United,” an issue that’s long been a central focus for Biden but has taken on added weight.
In an announcement shared first with the Associated Press, the Presidential
Inaugural Committee said that the theme “reflects the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together, and creates a path to a brighter future.”
Heightened security after breach
After the siege of the Capitol, the Secret Service expressed confidence Monday in a sprawling plan to secure the presidential inauguration, describing it as a “zero-fail mission.”
Michael Plati, the agent leading the effort, vowed a “robust” presence of law enforcement and National Guard, along with a layered network of fencing and vehicle checkpoints to repel potential threats.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser extended a citywide emergency declaration through the day after the inauguration, explaining that the “motivation (of those who stormed the Capitol) is ongoing.”
Trump on Monday declared a preemptive emergency in Washington for the inauguration of his successor, a move that will allow local officials to more quickly draw on federal resources.
Who will attend?
Trump said he will not attend Biden’s inauguration, breaking with more than 150 years of tradition. Vice President Mike Pence will attend.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton are expected.
Former President Jimmy Carter, 96, announced he will not attend. This will be the first inauguration he has missed since attending his own in 1977.