Tuesday December 16, 2008
Inauguration 2009
35 Days To Inauguration
Inauguration Day is January 20, 2009, when the peaceful passage of power from one elected President to the next occurs. The inauguration of Barack Obama will be the 56th 
Presidential Inauguration for the United States. Every four years, since April 30, 1789, when on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, George Washington was sworn in as our first President, our country witnesses this event. This peaceful transition of power is remarkable when you consider the violence and unrest that exists in so many other countries throughout the world. There are a number of traditional and historical events surrounding the inauguration of a new President. They include the Swearing-In Ceremony where the Oath of Office is administered to the President and the Vice President, and the Inauguration Parade which proceeds from the U.S. Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, as well as various Inaugural luncheons, balls and receptions.
Right now, information regarding the 2009 Inauguration, which is themed "A New Birth Of Freedom," is limited because the committee handling the event has yet to be in full operation. The Swearing-In Ceremony is a congressional responsibility handled by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies; you can learn more about the swearing-in ceremony at the JCCIC website for Inauguration 2009. You can sign up for e-mail updates at the JCCIC site and find Facts and Figures, Historical Firsts, and details about past Inaugurations and surrounding events at that website. It is an interesting site to browse.
Every other aspect of the inauguration is handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), which plans the parade, selects the bands, arranges for construction of the grandstands, organizes balls and receptions and oversees the creation of invitations, tickets, badges, programs and souvenir items. The PIC also offers e-mail updates to those who sign up.
You can find information regarding media credentials through a link with the JCCIC, It also handles news coverage and issues credentials to the media; the deadline for Inauguration media applications is December 15, 2008.
General public access to a number of inauguration events is limited, but I have included below information on the events that are open to the public.
Swearing-In Ceremony
With few exceptions, the Swearing-In Ceremony of the President has taken place at the U.S. Capitol, generally at the west front of the Capitol. The ceremony is a congressional responsibility, and, as a Member of Congress, I will be receiving an allotment of tickets for the event; however, I am no longer taking requests for these tickets. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has printed about 250,000 tickets to the swearing-in ceremony. I will distribute those tickets to Idahoans who are interested in attending the ceremony and who made a request to my office prior to December 1, 2008. Priority will be given to requests from residents of Idaho. There is no charge for the official tickets, which will provide admittance to a particular section of the viewing area. Other than the Inaugural Platform, which is reserved for the presidential party and Congress, there are very few actual seats available. The tickets provided to my office are generally for standing. There are many other inaugural events, including officially-sanctioned balls and receptions that do have admission/ticket charges associated with those events. It is also worth noting that any entity that offers to sell tickets to the swearing-in ceremony is worth investigating further as it may not be offering legitimate tickets.
If you have requested tickets from my office prior to December 1, 2008, the following information may be helpful. My offices received far more requests for tickets than the number of tickets I have available. My staff will be notifying everyone who requested tickets about their request status in the first two weeks of December. If you haven't heard back from my office by December 16, 2008, please contact my DC office, (202) 224-6142. We will let you know one way or the other regarding the ticket allocation. Also, I will not be receiving the tickets until mid-January and it will be necessary for you to arrange to pick up the tickets in person on Monday, January 19, 2009. Tickets will not be mailed to you. Nearly all the tickets are in standing sections, which are located on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.
You should also know that tickets are not necessary to view the swearing-in ceremony. They are needed to enter specific viewing areas, the closer ones, but the viewing area for the swearing-in ceremony is quite large, and will stretch from the Capitol along the National Mall. Not all sections of the viewing area require tickets; the more distant parts of the viewing area will probably be served by large video screens. It is expected that the demand for tickets will outstrip the supply, so please plan accordingly.
Typically, Inauguration Day has been cold and wet (average temperature is 37 degrees F), so you should plan accordingly if attending the Swearing-In Ceremony and/or the Parade. The crowds are very large, and it is likely that you will be outside for at least three hours. You are also encouraged to use public transportation as parking availability in event areas in Washington, DC, will be very restricted. Security will also be vigorous; you can expect to go through security screenings to reach your ticket location. Folding chairs and strollers are not allowed within the ticketed locations. A list of other prohibited items will be made available in January; it will also be posted here.
Media Credentials
The following is a news release from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and covers the information needed regarding media credentials:
The application process for media credentials for the 2009 Inaugural Ceremonies has begun, and will run until December 15, 2008.
All requests for media credentials for the inaugural ceremonies will be handled by the Senate media galleries. Media wishing to obtain credentials for the swearing-in ceremonies must apply for credentials through an on-line application process. The cut-off date to apply is December 15. Instructions and the online application are featured on each of the gallery websites.
Senate Radio/TV Gallery: http://www.senate.gov/galleries/radiotv/inaugural.htm
Senate Daily Press Gallery: http://www.senate.gov/galleries/daily/
Senate Periodical Press Gallery: http://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/inauguration.htm
Senate Press Photographers’ Gallery: http://www.senate.gov/galleries/pdcl/inauguration.htm
The number of media credentials issued for the swearing-in ceremonies will be limited by space constraints. Completion of an application does not guarantee that credentials will be issued.
Media credentials for other inaugural events (parade, balls, and any other inaugural events) will be handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) once it is formed. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies expects that the PIC will be up and running by next week, and will post a link to its website as soon as it becomes available.
Please note that individual Senate offices do not have any input in who is provided media credentials; that is all handled through the individual media galleries.
Parade
The Inauguration Parade, generally held on the afternoon of the swearing-in ceremony, will proceed the 15 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House. In 2005, it started at 2 p.m. It typically takes about two hours. In the past, there have been ticketed and non-ticketed viewing areas of the parade; however, those details have not yet been determined by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. My Senate office will not have any tickets to distribute for this event. Once again, please be wary of any entity that offers to sell tickets to the parade.
The deadline for requests to participate in the Inauguration Parade has been extended to November 18, 2008. You can obtain more information about the parade from the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. In 2005, 57 applicant groups were chosen from the more than 300 who applied. If chosen, you are responsible for your own logistics (funding, transportation, lodging, etc.).
Balls and Gala Events
The Presidential Inaugural Committee coordinates all the balls and gala events hosted in honor of the newly-elected President. Further information regarding the inaugural balls and galas will be released in late 2009. My Senate office will not have any tickets to distribute for this event. Balls that have been held in previous years, including 2005, are:
- The Commander-In-Chief Ball, held at the National Building Museum in 2005.
- Constitution Ball, held at the Washington Hilton in 2005.
- Democracy Ball
- Freedom Ball, held in Union Station in 2005.
- Independence Ball
- Liberty Ball
- Patriots Ball
- Stars and Stripes Ball
Unless otherwise noted, the balls listed above were held in various Halls and Ballrooms at the Washington Convention Center in 2005. The President makes an appearance at all of the official inaugural balls.
Tickets need to be purchased for any of these events, which are sponsored by the official PIC. In 2005, the average ticket prices for these various balls ranged from $75 to nearly $600. There are a variety of other inaugural balls held throughout Washington, DC, that are sponsored by other entities, including state societies, universities and military organizations. Average ticket prices in 2005 for those events ranged from $20 to nearly $800.
Other Tour Information
While you are in Washington, DC, for inaugural events, you may also find time to visit a number of other sites. Please use the links below to learn more about various sites you may find of interest. You can also download a comprehensive list of all the attractions (Word document or PDF file-144KB) that are listed on my site. It notes the attraction, address, telephone, closest Metro stop, hours of operation and other details that may be useful for planning.
Whenever possible, you will find links included with the entry; those links will open in a separate window. We make every effort to keep the information on these pages updated, but because of the volume of material, we encourage you to confirm hours, admission costs and other details should you decide to visit a particular site. Some of the attractions also offer discount admission tickets through their websites, so it's worth checking out!
Learn some insight for touring Washington, DC, by visiting the Touring Tips page. Please also remember that my office can assist you with congressional tours of certain sites. That information is available on a Tour Request Form. Also, please remember to request a Welcome To Washington: A Guide To Our Nation's Capital brochure; it is an invaluable resource for planning your trip.