January 20, 2021 — Inauguration Day for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The day is full of activities but the main event takes place at 12:00 noon as Biden and Harris takes their oaths of office on the Capitol steps.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton and their wives will attend the inauguration. Donald J. Trump will not, with plans to leave D.C. at 8:00 a.m. Vice President Mike Pence will attend along with all of Republican and Democratic leadership.
The day begins with Joe Biden and his family, surrounded by Republican and Democratic leadership, at church as he begins his presidency with a hurting nation reeling from a pandemic and a right-wing insurgency.
The afternoon plans include a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony with President and Mrs. Biden, Vice President Harris and her husband, and former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, and their wives.
Missing will be hundreds of thousands of well-wishers due to the Covid pandemic, and a locked-down D.C. after the January 6th insurgency on the U.S. Capitol, bringing 20,000+ National Guard troops to the nation’s capital.
President Biden hits the ground running with an aggressive agenda:
-Vaccine distribution for coronavirus
-Mandatory mask wearing in federal buildings
-Pathway to citizenship
-Reverse Muslim ban
-Extend student loan pause
-Rejoin Paris agreement
-100-Day masking challenge
-No evictions, foreclosures
-Stop Keystone Pipeline
-End border emergency
-Rejoin the W.H.O.
-Stop Federal executions
-End military transgender ban
And that’s just for starters.
The Biden presidency held a solemn event last night with the a memorial to honor the 400,000 victims of Covid-19 in the United States that took place at the Lincoln Memorial. With 200,000 American flags on the National Mall, and 400 lighted candles along the reflecting pool, it was a healing moment for families who have been alone through the long, dark Covid journey. For a nation that has battled the global pandemic for the past 10 months, it was a feeling of being heard, seen, and knowing they were not alone.
Early polls show 66 percent of Americans approve of Joe Biden’s handling of the transition. America is exhausted. It’s been a rollercoaster four years and we need normalcy.
Congratulations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. We wish you well.
Background:
-ABC News: World leaders react to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration day. [1]
-USA Today: Inauguration Day security live updates: 25,000 National Guard members in a fortified Washington, D.C., ahead of Joe Biden’s swearing-in. [2]
-Washington Post: Biden is ‘inheriting a disaster’ as coronavirus continues to grip nation amid chaotic vaccine rollout [3]
-Washington Post: The inauguration of Joe Biden: What you need to know. [4]
-CBS News: Eye Opener – Biden to be sworn in as President. [5]