[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 12 (Thursday, January 21, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S75-S79]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INAUGURAL CEREMONY
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Inaugural Ceremony proceedings be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the proceedings of the Inaugural Ceremony
were ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Inaugural Ceremony
Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., January 20, 2021,
10:33 a.m.
[[Page S76]]
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A.
Milley, assembled on the President's platform.
Leadership of the United States House of Representatives:
Republican whip, the Honorable Stephen Scalise; and majority
whip, the Honorable James E. Clyburn, assembled on the
President's platform.
Leadership of the United States Senate: President pro
tempore emeritus, the Honorable Patrick Leahy, and Mrs.
Marcelle Leahy; Democratic whip, the Honorable Dick Durbin,
and Ms. Reema Dodin; majority whip, the Honorable John Thune,
and Mrs. Kimberley Thune; Democratic leader, the Honorable
Charles Schumer, and Mrs. Iris Weinshall Schumer; President
pro tempore of the Senate, the Honorable Chuck Grassley, and
Ms. Jennifer Heins assembled on the President's platform.
Former Vice President, the Honorable Dan Quayle, assembled
on the President's platform.
The 42nd President of the United States, the Honorable
William J. Clinton, and the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
assembled on the President's platform.
The 43rd President of the United States, the Honorable
George W. Bush, and Mrs. Laura Bush assembled on the
President's platform.
The 44th President of the United States, the Honorable
Barack H. Obama, and Mrs. Michelle Obama assembled on the
President's platform.
The Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John
G. Roberts, Jr., and the Associate Justices of the Supreme
Court assembled on the President's platform.
The children of Vice President-Elect Harris and Mr. Douglas
Emhoff, Cole Mackin Emhoff and Ella Rose Emhoff, assembled on
the President's platform.
The children of President-Elect Biden, Robert Hunter Biden
II and Ashley Blazer Biden and the grandchildren of the
President-elect, assembled on the President's platform.
Accompanying the Vice President: The Secretary of the
Senate, the Honorable Julie Adams; and Chief Administrative
Officer of the House of Representatives, Catherine Szpindor,
assembled on the President's platform.
The Vice President of the United States, the Honorable
Michael R. Pence, and Mrs. Karen Pence assembled on the
President's platform.
Accompanying the Vice President-elect: the Chief of
Inaugural Ceremonies, Maria Miller Lohmeyer; the Acting
Deputy House Sergeant at Arms, Kevin Grubbs; and the Acting
Deputy Senate Sergeant at Arms, U.S. Capitol Police Officer,
PFC Eugene O. Goodman, assembled on the President's platform.
The Vice President-elect of the United States, Kamala Devi
Harris, and Mr. Douglas Emhoff assembled on the President's
platform.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:
staff representative Alexandra Gourdikian Dicicco,
accompanying the House Republican leader, the Honorable Kevin
McCarthy; staff representative Bridget Brennan, accompanying
House majority leader, the Honorable Steny Hoyer, and Ms.
Yvette Lewis; staff representative Kate Knudsen, accompanying
Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honorable Nancy
Pelosi, and Mr. Paul Pelosi; staff representative Lindsey
Kerr, accompanying the Honorable Amy Klobuchar and Mr. John
Bessler; staff representative Stefanie Hagar Muchow,
accompanying Senate majority leader, the Honorable Mitch
McConnell, and the Honorable Elaine L. Chao; and staff
representative Rachelle Graves Schroeder, accompanying the
chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural
Ceremonies, the Honorable Roy Blunt, and Mrs. Abigail
Blunt, assembled on the President's platform.
Accompanying the President-elect, the staff director of the
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,
Fitzhugh Elder IV; the Acting House Sergeant at Arms, Tim
Blodgett; and the Acting Senate Sergeant at Arms, Jennifer
Hemmingway, assembled on the President's platform.
The President-elect of the United States, Joseph R. Biden,
Jr., and Dr. Jill Biden assembled on the President's
platform.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Vice President Pence, Mr. President-elect,
Madam Vice President-elect, Members of Congress and the
judicial branch, former Presidents and First Ladies, Vice
Presidents, leaders from abroad, and a whole bunch of Bidens,
America, welcome to the 59th Presidential Inauguration, where
in just a few moments Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take
their solemn oaths.
This ceremony is the culmination of 244 years of a
democracy. It is a moment when leaders, brought to this stage
by the will of the people, promise to be faithful to our
Constitution, to cherish it, and defend it. It is a moment
when they become, as we all should be, guardians of our
country.
Have we become too jaded, too accustomed to the ritual of
the passing of the torch of democracy to truly appreciate
what a blessing and a privilege it is to witness this moment?
I think not.
Two weeks ago, when an angry, violent mob staged an
insurrection and desecrated this temple of our democracy, it
awakened us to our responsibilities as Americans. This is the
day when our democracy picks itself up, brushes off the dust,
and does what America always does: It goes forward as a
nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for
all.
(Applause.)
This conveyance of a sacred trust between our leaders and
our people takes place in front of this shining Capitol dome
for a reason. When Abraham Lincoln gave his first inaugural
address in front of this Capitol, the dome was only partially
constructed, braced by ropes of steel. He promised he would
finish it. He was criticized for spending funds on it during
the Civil War. To those critics, he replied, ``If the people
see the Capitol going on, it is a sign we intend the Union
shall go on.'' And it did, and it will.
Generations of Americans gave their lives to preserve our
Republic in this place. Great legislation to protect civil
rights and economic security and lead the world was debated
and crafted under this dome. Now, it falls on all of us--not
just the two leaders we are inaugurating today--to take up
the torch of our democracy, not as a weapon of political
arson but as an instrument for good.
We pledge today never to take our democracy for granted as
we celebrate its remarkable strength. We celebrate its
resilience, its grit. We celebrate the ordinary people doing
extraordinary things for our Nation, the doctors and nurses
on the frontline of this pandemic, the officers in the
Capitol, a new generation never giving up hope for justice.
We celebrate a new President, Joe Biden, who vows to
restore the soul of America and cross the river of our
divides to a higher plane.
We celebrate our first African-American, first Asian-
American, and first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, who
stands on the shoulders of so many on this platform who have
forged the way to this day. When she takes the oath of
office, little girls and boys across the world will know that
anything and everything is possible.
In the end, that is America: our democracy, a country of so
much good. Today, on these Capitol steps and before this
glorious field of flags, we rededicate ourselves to its
cause.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
It is now my honor to introduce to you the Senator who has
worked with me and so many others to make this ceremony
possible, my friend and the chair of the Inaugural Committee,
Missouri Senator Roy Blunt.
(Applause.)
Mr. BLUNT. Well, I should have known when Senator Klobuchar
got involved, at least, there would be a touch of snow up
here this morning. Of all the things we had considered, I
don't think snow was on my agenda until I walked out the door
a moment ago.
But thank you, Senator Klobuchar, and thanks to the other
members of the Joint Congressional Committee on the
Inauguration as we officially begin the 59th inaugural
ceremony. I also want to thank the joint committee staff and
our partners, particularly our security partners, for the way
they have dealt with unprecedented circumstances.
When I chaired the inauguration 4 years ago, I shared
President Reagan's 1981 description of this event as
``commonplace'' and ``miraculous.'' It is ``commonplace''
because we have done it every 4 years since 1789; it is
miraculous because we have done it every 4 years since 1789.
Americans have celebrated this moment during war, during
depression, and now during pandemic.
Once again, all three branches of our government come
together as the Constitution envisions. Once again, we renew
our commitment to our determined democracy, forging a more
perfect union.
The theme for this inauguration, ``Our Determined
Democracy: Forging a more perfect union,'' was announced by
the joint committee before the election with the belief that
the United States can only fulfill its promise and set an
example for others if we are always working to be better than
we have been.
The Constitution established that determined democracy with
its first three words, declaring the people as the source of
the government. The Articles of Confederation hadn't done
that. The Magna Carta hadn't done that. Only the Constitution
says the government exists because the people are the source
of the reason it exists.
They immediately followed those first three words with the
words ``to form a more perfect union.'' The Founders did not
say to form a perfect union; they did not claim that in our
new country nothing would need to be improved. Fortunately,
they understood that always working to be better would be the
hallmark of a great democracy.
The freedoms we have today and the Nation we have today is
not here just because it happened, and they aren't complete.
A great democracy is working through the successes and
failures of our history, striving to be better than it had
been. We are more than we have been, and we are less than
we hope to be. The assault on our Capitol at this very
place just 2 weeks ago reminds us that a government
designed to balance and check itself is both fragile and
resilient.
During the last year, the pandemic challenged our free and
open society and called for extraordinary determination and
sacrifice and still challenges us today. Meeting that
challenge head on have been and are our healthcare workers,
scientists, first responders, essential frontline workers,
and so many others we depend on in so many ways.
Today, we come to this moment; people all over the world,
as we are here, are watching
[[Page S77]]
and will watch what we do here. Our government comes
together. The Congress and the courts join the transition of
Executive responsibility. One political party is more pleased
today and on every inaugural day than the other. But this is
not a moment of division; it is a moment of unification. A
new administration begins and brings with it a new beginning;
and with that, our great national debate goes forward, and a
determined democracy will continue to be essential in pursuit
of a more perfect union and a better future for all
Americans. What a privilege for me to join you today.
Thank you.
(Applause.)
I am pleased to call to the podium a longtime friend of the
President-elect and his family, Father Leo O'Donovan, to lead
us in an invocation.
Please stand if you are able and remain standing for the
national anthem and the pledge to our flag.
Father O'DONOVAN. Gracious and merciful God, at this sacred
time, we come before you in need, indeed on our knees. But we
come still more with hope and with our eyes raised anew to
the vision of a more perfect union in our land, a union of
all our citizens to promote the general welfare and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
We are a people of many races, creeds, and colors, national
backgrounds, cultures, and styles, now far more numerous and
on land much vaster than when Archbishop John Carroll wrote
his prayer for the inauguration of George Washington 232
years ago.
Archbishop Carroll prayed that You, a Creator of all, would
``assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the
President of these United States, that his administration may
be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to Your
people.''
Today, we confess our past failures to live according to
our vision of equality, inclusion, and freedom for all; yet
we resolutely commit still more now to renewing the vision,
to caring for one another in word and deed, especially the
least fortunate among us, and so becoming a light for the
world.
There is a power in each and every one of us that lives by
turning to every other one of us, a trust of the spirit to
cherish and care and stand by others and, above all, those
most in need. It is called love, and its path is to give ever
more of itself. Today, it is called American patriotism,
borne not of power and privilege, but of care for the common
good, with malice toward none and with charity for all.
For our new President, we beg of you the wisdom Solomon
sought when he knelt before you and prayed for an
understanding heart so that ``I can govern your people . .
. and know the difference between right and wrong.''
We trust in the counsel of the letter of James:
In any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given
to you.
Pope Francis has reminded us how important it is to dream
together. ``By ourselves,'' he wrote, ``we risk seeing
mirages, things that are not there. Dreams, on the other
hand, are built together.''
Be with us, Holy Mystery of Love, as we dream together.
Help us under our new President to reconcile the people of
our land, restore our dream, and invest it with peace and
justice and the joy that is the overflow of love.
To the glory of Your name forever. Amen.
(Performance of the National Anthem by Lady Gaga,
accompanied by the U.S. Marine Band.)
(Fire Captain Andrea M. Hall, of the South Fulton Georgia
Fire and Rescue Department, president of the International
Association of Firefighters Local 3920 recited the Pledge of
Allegiance.)
(Applause.)
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. What you are all about to be part of,
America, is a historic moment of firsts.
To administer the oath to our first African-American, our
first Asian-American, and our first woman Vice President,
Kamala Harris, it is my great privilege to welcome to the
inaugural stage the first Latina to ever serve on the Supreme
Court of the United States of America: Justice Sonia
Sotomayor.
The Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, SONIA
SOTOMAYOR, administered to the Vice President-elect the oath
of office prescribed by the Constitution, which she repeated
as follows:
I, KAMALA DEVI HARRIS, do solemnly swear 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.
(Applause.)
(Jennifer Lopez performed ``This Land Is Your Land'' and
``America the Beautiful'' accompanied by the U.S. Marine
Band.)
(Applause.)
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Well, that was great.
The Sun is shining and, Mr. President-elect, this is the
first inauguration in the history of America where J-Lo was
the warmup act for Chief Justice Roberts.
With that, it is now my distinct honor to introduce the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, John
Roberts, to administer the Presidential oath to the next
President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden.
(Applause.)
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, JOHN G. ROBERTS,
JR., administered to the President-elect the oath of office
prescribed by the Constitution, which he repeated, as
follows:
I, JOSEPH ROBINETTE BIDEN, JR., do solemnly swear 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.
The CHIEF JUSTICE. Congratulations, Mr. President.
(Applause.)
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. My fellow Americans--a moment we have all
been waiting for--it is now my great privilege and high honor
to be the first person to officially introduce the 46th
President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
(Applause.)
The PRESIDENT. Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President
Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell,
Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow
Americans, this is America's day. This is democracy's day--a
day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve.
Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested
anew, and America has risen to the challenge. Today, we
celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause, the
cause of democracy. The people--the will of the people--has
been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded.
We have learned again that democracy is precious, democracy
is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has
prevailed.
(Applause.)
Now, on this hallowed ground, where just a few days ago
violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation, we
come together as one Nation under God, indivisible, to carry
out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than
two centuries.
As we look ahead in our uniquely American way--restless,
bold, optimistic--and set our sights on a nation we know we
can and we must be, I thank my predecessors of both parties
for their presence here today. I thank them from the bottom
of my heart.
(Applause.)
I know the resilience of our Constitution and the
strength--the strength of our Nation--as does President
Carter, who I spoke with last night, who cannot be with us
today, but whom we salute for his lifetime in service.
I have just taken the sacred oath each of those patriots
have taken, the oath first sworn by George Washington. But
the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some
of us, but on all of us--on we, the people, who seek a more
perfect union. This is a great nation. We are good people.
Over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and at
war, we have come so far, but we still have far to go.
We will press forward with speed and urgency for we have
much to do in this winter of peril and significant
possibilities--much to repair, much to restore, much to heal,
much to build, and much to gain. Few people in our Nation's
history have been more challenged or found a time more
challenging or difficult than the time we are in now. A once-
in-a-century virus that silently stalks the country has taken
as many lives in 1 year as America lost in all of World War
II.
Millions of jobs have been lost, and hundreds of thousands
of businesses closed. A cry for racial justice, some 400
years in the making, moves us. The dream of justice for all
will be deferred no longer.
(Applause.)
A cry for survival comes from the planet itself, a cry that
can't be any more desperate or any more clear now--the rise
of political extremism, White supremacy, domestic terrorism
that we must confront and we will defeat.
(Applause.)
To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and
secure the future of America requires so much more than
words; it requires the most elusive of all things in a
democracy: unity. Unity.
In another January on New Year's Day in 1863, Abraham
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. When he put pen
to paper, the President said:
If my name ever goes down in history, it will be for this
act, and my whole soul is in it.
My whole soul is in it today, on this January day. My whole
soul is in this: bringing America together, uniting our
people, uniting our Nation. I ask every American to join me
in this cause.
(Applause.)
Uniting to fight the foes we face--anger, resentment and
hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease,
joblessness, and hopelessness--with unity, we can do great
things, important things. We can right wrongs. We can put
people to work in good jobs. We can teach our children in
safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus. We can reward
work and rebuild the middle class and make healthcare secure
for all. We can deliver racial justice, and we can make
America, once again, the leading force for good in the world.
I know, speaking of unity, it can sound to some like a
foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us
are deep and they are real, but I also know they are not new.
Our history has been a constant struggle between the American
ideal, that we all are created equal, and the harsh ugly
reality
[[Page S78]]
that racism, nativism, fear, and demonization have long torn
us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never
assured.
Through Civil War, the Great Depression, World War, 9/11,
and through struggle, sacrifice, and setbacks, our better
angels have always prevailed. In each of these moments,
enough of us--enough of us--have come together to carry all
of us forward, and we can do that now.
History, faith, and reason show the way, the way of unity.
We can see each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors.
We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join
forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For
without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury;
no progress, only exhausting outrage; and no nation, only a
state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and
challenge, and unity is the path forward, and we must meet
this moment as the United States of America.
If we do that, I guarantee you we will not fail. We have
never, ever, ever, ever failed in America when we have acted
together. So, today, at this time, in this place, let's start
afresh--all of us. Let's begin to listen to one another
again, hear one another, see one another, and show respect to
one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire
destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't
have to be a cause for total war, and we must reject the
culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even
manufactured.
(Applause.)
My fellow Americans, we have to be different than this.
America has to be better than this, and I believe America is
so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in
the shadow of the Capitol dome, as was mentioned earlier,
completed amid the Civil War when the Union itself was
literally hanging in the balance; yet we endured. We
prevailed.
Here we stand, looking out on the great Mall where Dr. King
spoke of his dream. Here we stand, where 108 years ago, at
another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block
brave women marching for the right to vote. Today, we mark
the swearing in of the first woman in American history
elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Don't tell me things can't change.
(Applause.)
Here we stand, across the Potomac from Arlington Cemetery,
where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest
in eternal peace. Here we stand, just days after a riotous
mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of
the people, to stop the work of our democracy, and to drive
us from this sacred ground. It did not happen. It will never
happen, not today, not tomorrow, not ever--not ever.
(Applause.)
To all those who supported our campaign, I am humbled by
the faith you placed in us. To all those who did not support
us, let me say this: Hear me out as we move forward. Take a
measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree, so be it.
That is democracy. That is America. The right to dissent
peaceably within the guardrails of our Republic is perhaps
this Nation's greatest strength; yet hear me clearly.
Disagreement must not lead to disunion, and I pledge this to
you: I will be a President for all Americans--all Americans.
(Applause.)
I promise you, I will fight as hard for those who did not
support me as for those who did.
(Applause.)
Many centuries ago, St. Augustine, a saint in my church,
wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common
action of their love, defined by the common objects of their
love. What are the common objects we, as Americans, love that
define us as Americans? I think we know: opportunity,
security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and, yes, the
truth.
Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson.
There is truth, and there are lies, lies told for power and
for profit. Each of us has a duty and a responsibility as
citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders--leaders
who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our
Nation--to defend the truth and defeat the lies.
(Applause.)
Look, I understand that many of my fellow Americans view
the future with fear and trepidation. I understand they worry
about their jobs. I understand, like my dad, they lay in bed
at night staring at the ceiling, wondering: Can I keep my
healthcare? Can I pay my mortgage? Thinking about their
families and about what comes next. I promise you, I get it.
But the answer is not to turn inward and to retreat into
competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like you
or worship the way you do or don't get their news from the
same sources you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits
red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus
liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of
hardening our hearts, if we show a little tolerance and
humility, and if we are willing to stand in the other
person's shoes, as my mom would say. Just for a moment, stand
in their shoes.
Because here is the thing about life: There is no
accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days, you need a
hand. There are other days when we are called to lend a hand.
That is how it has to be. That is what we do for one
another. If we are this way, our country will be stronger,
more prosperous, more ready for the future, and we can
still disagree.
My fellow Americans, in the work ahead of us, we are going
to need each other. We need all our strength to persevere
through this dark winter. We are entering what may be the
toughest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside
politics and finally face this pandemic as one Nation--one
Nation.
(Applause.)
And I promise you this, as the Bible says: ``Weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.'' We will
get through this together--together.
(Applause.)
Look, folks, all my colleagues I serve with in the House
and the Senate up here, we all understand the world is
watching, watching all of us today. So here is my message to
those beyond our borders: America has been tested, and we
have come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances
and engage with the world once again--not to meet yesterday's
challenges but today's and tomorrow's challenges--and we will
lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power
of our example.
(Applause.)
We will be a strong and trusted partner for peace,
progress, and security.
Look, you all know we have been through so much in this
Nation. In my first act as President, I would like to ask you
to join me in a moment of silent prayer. Remember all those
who we lost in this past year to the pandemic, those 400,000
fellow Americans--moms, dads, husbands, wives, sons,
daughters, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. We will honor
them by becoming the people and the Nation we know we can and
should be. I ask you, let's say a silent prayer for those who
have lost their lives and those left behind and for our
country.
(Moment of silence.)
Amen.
Folks, this is a time of testing. We face an attack on our
democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the
sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis, and America's
role in the world. Any one of these would be enough to
challenge us in profound ways, but the fact is we face them
all at once, presenting this Nation with one of the gravest
responsibilities we have had.
Now, we are going to be tested. Are we going to step up,
all of us? It is time for boldness, for there is so much to
do. And this is certain: I promise you, we will be judged,
you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our
era. Will we rise to the occasion is the question. Will we
master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our
obligations and pass along a new and better world to our
children?
I believe we must. I am sure you do as well. I believe we
will. When we do, we will write the next great chapter in the
history of the United States of America--the American story--
a story that might sound something like a song that means a
lot to me. It is called ``American Anthem.'' There is one
verse that stands out, at least for me, and it goes like
this:
The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this
day, which shall be our legacy, what will our children say?
Let me know in my heart when my days are through, America,
America, I gave my best to you.
Let us add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story
of our great Nation. If we do this, then when our days are
through, our children and our children's children will say of
us: They gave their best, they did their duty, they healed
a broken land.
My fellow Americans, I close today where I began, with a
sacred oath. Before God and all of you, I give you my word. I
will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution. I
will defend our democracy. I will defend America, and I will
give all--all of you--keep everything I do in your service,
thinking not of power but of possibilities, not of personal
interest but of public good. And together, we shall write an
American story of hope, not fear; of unity, not division; of
light, not darkness; a story of decency and dignity, love and
healing, greatness and goodness--may this be the story that
guides us, the story that inspires us, and the story that
tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history.
We met the moment. Democracy and hope, truth and justice, did
not die on our watch but thrived, that America secured
liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the
world. That is what we owe our forbearers, one another, and
generations to follow.
So, with purpose and resolve, we turn to those tasks of our
time sustained by faith, driven by conviction, and devoted to
one another and the country we love with all our hearts. May
God bless America, and may God protect our troops.
Thank you, America.
(Applause.)
(Garth Brooks performed ``Amazing Grace.'')
Mr. BLUNT. It is hard not to be reminded of President Obama
singing that same song at the Mother Emanuel Church, a song
that in our country is as close to both poetry and prayer as
you could possibly come, and we are going to finish with
those two things.
Let me introduce Amanda Gorman, our Nation's first ever
National Youth Poet Laureate.
Ms. GORMAN. Mr. President, Dr. Biden, Madam Vice President,
Mr. Emhoff, Americans, and the world:
When day comes we ask ourselves,
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where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn't always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn't broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn't mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors,
characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we'll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we're to live up to our own time
Then victory won't lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we've made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into and how we repair it
We've seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly
prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children's birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern
states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it
If only we're brave enough to be it.
(Applause.)
Mr. BLUNT. Thank you, Amanda Gorman.
Now, for our benediction, I am pleased to introduce the
Reverend Dr. Silvester Beaman, pastor of the Bethel African
Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, DE, a friend of
President Biden for 30 years.
Reverend BEAMAN. As a nation and people of faith gathered
in this historical moment, let us unite in prayer.
God, we gather under the beauty of Your holiness and the
holiness of Your beauty. We seek Your face, Your smile, Your
warm embrace.
We petition You once more in this celebration. We pray for
divine favor upon our President, Joseph R. Biden, and our
First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, and their family. We further ask
that You would extend the same favor upon our Vice President,
Kamala D. Harris, and our Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and
their family. More than ever--more than ever--they and our
Nation need You.
We need You, for in You we discover our common humanity. In
our common humanity, we will seek out the wounded and bind
their wounds. We will seek healing for those who are sick and
diseased. We will mourn our dead. We will befriend the
lonely, the least, and the left out. We will share our
abundance with those who are hungry. We will do justly to the
oppressed, acknowledge sin, and seek forgiveness, thus
grasping reconciliation.
In discovering our humanity, we will seek the good in and
for all our neighbors. We will love the unlovable, remove the
stigma of the so-called untouchables. We will care for our
most vulnerable, our children, the elderly, emotionally
challenged, and the poor. We will seek rehabilitation beyond
correction. We will extend opportunity to those locked out of
opportunity. We will make friends of our enemies. We will
make friends of our enemies.
People--Your people--shall no longer raise up weapons
against one another, who will rather use our resources for
the national good, and become a beacon of life and good will
to the world, and neither shall we learn hatred anymore. We
will lie down in peace and not make our neighbors afraid.
In You, oh, God, we discover our humanity, and in our
humanity, we discover our commonness. Beyond the difference
of color, creed, origin, political party, ideology,
geography, and personal preferences, we will become greater
stewards of Your environment, preserving the land, reaping
from it a sustainable harvest, and securing its wonder and
miracle-giving power for generations to come.
This is our benediction, that from these hallowed grounds
where slaves labored to build this shrine and citadel to
liberty and democracy, let us all acknowledge--from the
indigenous Native Americans to those who recently received
their citizenship, from the African American to those whose
foreparents came from Europe and every corner of the globe,
from the wealthy to those struggling to make it, from every
human being, regardless of their choices--that this is our
country.
As such, teach us, oh, God. As such, teach us, oh, God, to
live in it, love in it, be healed in it, and reconcile to one
another in it, less we miss kingdom's goal.
To Your glory, majesty, dominion, and power forever,
hallelujah. Glory hallelujah, in the strong Name of our
collective faith. Amen.
(Performance of ``The Stars and Stripes Forever'' by the
U.S. Marine Band.)
(Performance of ``Let Freedom Ring'' by the U.S. Marine
Band.)
(The Inaugural Ceremony was concluded at 12:33 p.m.)
Mr. SCHUMER. Thank you, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Booker). You are welcome.
Mr. SCHUMER. A new politeness from the Chair.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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