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| A graphic from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies' website. | |
| Date | January 20, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location | United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. |
| Organized by | Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies |
| Participants | Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. 46th President of the United States — Assuming office John Glover Roberts Jr. Chief Justice of the United States — Administering oath Kamala Devi Harris 49th Vice President of the United States — Assuming office TBA — Administering oath |
| Website | The 59th Presidential Inauguration |
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|---|---|---|
U.S. Senator from Delaware Vice President of the United States President-elect of the United States showPresidential campaigns showVice presidential campaigns Published works | ||
The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States will mark the commencement of the four-year term of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president. A public ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, 2021, on the West Front of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The event will be the 59th presidential inauguration. Biden will take the oath of office as president on that day, and Harris will take the oath of office as vice president. Festivities are likely to be limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[1] Public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as mandatory face coverings, temperature checks, and social distancing, are likely to be used for the ceremony.[2]"Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union," a reference to the Preamble to the United States Constitution, will serve as the inaugural theme.
The inauguration will mark the formal culmination of the presidential transition of Joe Biden that began when he won the U.S. presidential election on November 3, 2020, and became the president-elect four days later on November 7, 2020.[3] Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, are scheduled to be confirmed by the Electoral College on December 14, 2020. Upon his inauguration, Biden will become the oldest president at 78 years and 61 days, older upon taking office than Ronald Reagan, who left office at 77 years, 349 days. He will also become the first president from Delaware (although being born in Pennsylvania), first former vice president to become president in nonconsecutive terms since Richard Nixon, and second Catholic after John F. Kennedy.[4][5][6] Harris will become the first female, first African American, and first Asian American vice president.[7]
Construction of the inaugural platform at the United States CapitolThe Capitol Police Board has restricted public access to the West Front of the United States Capitol from September 7, 2020, to February 28, 2021, to "allow for the safe and secure construction of the Inaugural platform, stands, and other infrastructure necessary to support the event."[8] Construction began on September 29, 2020.[9] An inaugural first nail ceremony, which traditionally commemorates the start of construction of the inaugural platform, was not held because it “coincided with the period of remembrance for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”[10]
The swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural luncheon for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris is being planned by the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, a bipartisan committee composed of United States Senators Roy Blunt (chairman), Mitch McConnell, and Amy Klobuchar, and United States Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Kevin McCarthy.[11] The committee, overseen by the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chose the inaugural theme "Our Determined Democracy: Forging a More Perfect Union" to highlight the inaugural ceremony as a "hallmark of American governance and democracy" and stress the peaceful transition of power.[12]
In September 2020, the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency estimated that the total costs of the inauguration to the D.C. government—including security, parade preparation, and the construction of review standings outside of the White House and John A. Wilson Building—will exceed US$44.9 million.[13] Typically, the District's costs incurred in connection with the inauguration are reimbursed by the federal government.[13]
Biden will take the following oath:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. [So help me God.]"[14]
Harris will take the following oath:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. [So help me God.]"[14]
Numerous protests are expected to occur near the National Mall where inaugural observers are expected to gather, including those organized by anti-war, environmental, pro-Trump, pro-life, and free speech advocacy groups.[15]