A friend of mine, Rolfe Carawan, an author and motivational speaker, recently pointed out to me the unique way in which lions hunt. In the savanna grasslands of Africa when lions are ready to hunt, a male lion runs to one side of the grassland to prepare for the attack. A group of lionesses, known for their precision and hunting prowess, slowly move in on the other side of the grassland and wait slyly behind the thick reeds and grass. Unaware of their surroundings and the impending attack, their prey – flocks of zebras, wildebeest, and gazelle – graze quietly in the center of the grassland. Then, the male lion lets out a roar to signal the hunt.

In a hasty and immediate reaction to the roar, the prey scatter from their herds, running as fast as they can away from the roaring lion behind them. What they don’t realize is that they will run straight into the group of lionesses who have moved into position, now ready to pounce, attack, and kill.

There is something very peculiar about the lion’s hunt. If the lion’s prey grazing in the savanna grasslands would just run towards the roar of the lion, they would easily get around the single lion by their sheer size in number and speed. Instead they run away out of fear, heading straight into an even more deadly situation.

As we begin a new year, a new Congress, and a new administration, news media and negative pundits are quick to remind us of the many daunting challenges that loom ahead for our nation in 2009. And with all of the challenges we’re constantly reminded of, it is easy to think of ourselves as one of the thousands of prey confronted by a roaring lion ready to devour.

Families and businesses feel beaten down by our economic situation. Retirement investments are not what they used to be. Colleges are raising their tuition to cover for shrinking endowments, causing families to question their ability to send their children to college. Small businesses are being forced to close their doors because they cannot break even given the slump of consumer sales. Droves of young people are coming out of college facing one of the toughest job markets our country has seen in years.

Furthermore, government spending – and our federal deficit – is skyrocketing. With all of the federal bailouts from 2008, the presence of our federal government in our overall economy has increased by 50% in just 12 months. The total cost of the bailout packages alone is nearly the entire amount Congress appropriated on all federal discretionary spending in 2007. In its latest budget forecast, the Congressional Budget Office announced our federal deficit for FY2009 will shatter any record high deficits in peacetime history, tripling to $1.2 trillion. At this pace, government spending is set to make up half of our overall economy in just two years, replacing the judgment of the American people with the judgment of politicians, threatening not just our welfare today, but the future welfare of our children and grandchildren.

Our healthcare system needs to be revitalized to address our increased federal spending in health care and the 47 million individuals without health insurance. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, federal spending on health care is outpacing our overall economic growth. Small businesses lack a way to purchase health insurance for their employees at competitive costs. Our prescription drug prices are more costly than those in other countries, putting a strain on senior citizens, especially in our current economic environment.

The lion’s roar is certainly loud and no doubt frightening. But like the thousands of prey who face the roaring lion, we have a critical option in the face of these challenges – we can run away from the roaring challenges in front of us only to find ourselves facing an even more costly situation, or we can run towards the challenges in our traditionally innovative spirit seeking lasting solutions. In theory, I would gather that most individuals would choose to take the challenge head-on. But we must ask ourselves what it means to do that in practice.

Will we continue to increase our deficit by seeking stimulus after stimulus? We’ve seen that no temporary stimulus or boost to our economy lasts. Will we continue to invest in a failed model that diverts investments away from hardworking Americans and successful businesses? We have an opportunity to seek economic solutions that preserve our basic economic traditions and put us on track towards a growing economy.

Will we settle for a Washington-run healthcare system which will weaken the quality and accessibility of care? Or will we seek to reduce healthcare costs by increasing transparency in our system and instilling real competition and free market principles? We have an opportunity to transform our current system to one of empowerment, choice, and quality, and to bring our health care system into the 21st century through the use of technology.

Will we return to being a nation of innovative solutions rather than temporary remedies? I am confident that we can if we step out and put aside partisan politics, open our dialogue, and continually ask ourselves “What it best for America?.” I believe in the innovation of America and the American people, and I know we can overcome our greatest challenges through our values and our refusal to give up. We just have to run to the roar.
 

A Historical Look at Inaugurations

Every four years following a Presidential Election, the American people watch as their new President, or returning President, is sworn into office.  The first Presidential Inauguration of George Washington occurred on April 30, 1789, in which he called upon "That Almighty Being who rules over the universe" to assist the American people in finding "liberties and happiness" under "a government instituted by themselves."  Since Washington’s first Presidential address, each President has addressed the American people and sworn allegiance to the Constitution of the United States.  Today’s Presidential Inauguration Ceremonies consist of a week of festivities, including the Presidential Swearing-In Ceremony, Inaugural Address, Inaugural Parade and numerous Inaugural balls and galas honoring the new President of the United States. The following offers a historical look at traditional Inauguration Day events.  

Morning Worship Service

 On March 4, 1933, at 10:15 a.m., prior to his swearing-in ceremony, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor attended a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church, next to the White House. They did the same at Roosevelt's 1937 and 1941 Inaugurations, and arranged for a private service at the White House the morning of his fourth Inauguration on January 20, 1945. Roosevelt's Inauguration Day worship service set a precedent that has been followed by Presidents ever since.

Procession to the Capitol

On Inauguration Day, after a morning worship service, the President-elect, Vice President-elect, and their spouses are escorted to the White House by members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. After a brief meeting, the President-elect and the outgoing President proceed together to the Capitol for the Swearing-In Ceremonies. This tradition has endured, with few exceptions, since 1837, when Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson rode together in a carriage made from wood taken from the U.S.S. Constitution. The Vice President and Vice President-elect follow, as do family members, cabinet members, and members of the JCCIC.

Vice President’s Swearing-In Ceremony

 Just before the President-elect takes the oath of office on Inauguration Day, the Vice President-elect steps forward on the Inaugural platform and repeat the oath of office. Although the United States Constitution specifically sets forth the oath required by the President, it only says that the Vice President and other government officers should take an oath upholding the Constitution. It does not specify the form of that oath.

Swearing-In Ceremony

Although Inaugural traditions have changed through the years, their fundamental premise remains unchanged and unwavering. The American Presidential Inauguration Ceremony, with its speeches and attendant festivities, has represented both national renewal and continuity of leadership for the past two hundred years and will continue to do so into the future.  The incoming President recites the oath of office from Article II, Section 1 on the United States Constitution:  “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."
 

Inaugural Address

The custom of delivering an address on Inauguration Day started with the very first Inauguration—George Washington's—on April 30, 1789. Most Presidents use their Inaugural Address to present their vision of America and to set forth their goals for the nation. Some of the most eloquent and powerful Inaugural speeches are still quoted today. In 1865, in the waning days of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln stated, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt avowed, "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." And in 1961, John F. Kennedy declared, "And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

Departure of the Outgoing President

Following the Inaugural Ceremony on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, the outgoing President and First Lady leave the Capitol to begin their post-presidential lives.  In recent years, the newly installed President and Vice President have escorted their predecessors out of the Capitol after the Swearing-In Ceremony.  The members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies gather on the stairs on the east front of the Capitol Building.  The new Vice President escorts the outgoing Vice President and his spouse out of the Capitol through a military line. Then, the new President escorts the outgoing President and his spouse through the military cordon.  Since Gerald Ford's departure in 1977, the former President and First Lady have left the Capitol grounds by helicopter (weather permitting).

Inaugural Luncheon

On January 20, after the newly elected President has taken the Oath of Office and delivered his Inaugural address, he is escorted to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol for the traditional Inaugural luncheon, hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). While this tradition dates as far back as 1897, when the Senate Committee on Arrangements gave a luncheon for President McKinley and several other guests at the U.S. Capitol, it did not begin in its current form until 1953.

Inaugural Parade

When the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has concluded its luncheon, the guests of honor—the newly sworn President and Vice President—make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, leading a procession of ceremonial military regiments, citizens' groups, marching bands, and floats. The President, Vice President, their wives, and special guests review the parade as it passes in front of a specially built reviewing stand. The Inaugural Parade is a celebrated and much anticipated event for millions of Americans across the country.

Inaugural Ball

On May 7, 1789, one week after the Inauguration of George Washington in New York City, sponsors held a ball to honor the new President. It was not until 1809, however, after the Inauguration of James Madison at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., that the tradition of the Inaugural ball began. That night, First Lady Dolley Madison hosted the gala at Long's Hotel. Four hundred tickets sold for $4 each.  Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1953 Inaugural ball added a second event due to the great demand for tickets. Four years later, Eisenhower's second Inauguration featured four balls. President William Jefferson Clinton hosted fourteen Inaugural Balls, the most in history.  This year, President Barack Obama will host ten official Inaugural Balls. 

To learn more about past and current Inaugural activities, The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has provided a detailed explanation of the Inaugural day of events.

To read the Inaugural Addresses from the nation's 54 Inaugurations, click here.

To learn interesting facts and first of Presidential Inaugurations, click here.

Watch the Video "So Help Me God", a historical look at the Inaugural Ceremonies 1789-2005.

Congressman Forbes speaks at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.