1. EVENT AT THE U.S. CAPITOL: INAUGURAL SWEARING-IN CEREMONY
a. The Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony will be held at 12:00 Noon on January 20, 2009, on the West Front of the Capitol. The East Front of the Capitol will be used for the departure ceremony of the outgoing President.
b. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) plans and executes all Inaugural activities at the United States Capitol, including the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony of the President and Vice President of the United States and the traditional Inaugural luncheon that follows. This committee is composed of:
i. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Chairwoman)
ii. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
iii. Sen. Robert Bennett
iv. Speaker Nancy Pelosi
v. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
vi. Rep. Leader John Boehner
c. General questions regarding the Inauguration may be directed to JCCIC at 202-224-2228. Their web site is also a very good resource: http://inaugural.senate.gov/index.cfm
2. OTHER EVENTS ON JANUARY 20: Inaugural Parade, Balls, etc.
a. ALL other Inaugural-related events in Washington, DC are planned and coordinated by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC). Members of this committee have yet to be named. These events include the large parade following the event at the Capitol, balls, etc.
i. If you get questions about participation in the Parade or other activities, you may direct them to the Armed Services Inaugural Committee (ASIC). More information can be found on their web site: http://www.afic.northcom.mil/participation/parade.html
3. TICKETS
a. The event at the Capitol on January 20 is a ticketed event. [NOTE: Virtually all other events will be ticketed as well.]
b. Tickets for the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony are distributed to the public by both Senators and Representatives of the 111th Congress. The entire allotment of tickets will be distributed to each Member of Congress by the JCCIC the week of January 12. We hope that JCCIC will send a notification to Members about the allotment number and the date of distribution in the next week or so.
4. ACCESS
a. As we did in 2005, special credentials will be required for access to the Capitol on January 20, 2009. More information on this later.
b. Consistent with previous Inaugural Ceremonies, the House Office Buildings will be open to Members, staff, and the public on a normal business day schedule on January 20. House Offices will also be open normally on Monday, January 19 as well (Martin Luther King Day), so that Member offices may distribute tickets.
c. Vehicular Access – Details on this later, but suffice it to say that virtually all of the streets around the Capitol complex and the Mall will be closed or severely restricted on January 20.
