[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1008-1011]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           INAUGURAL CEREMONY

  Mr. McCONNELL. 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:

                           INAUGURAL CEREMONY

       Inauguration of Donald John Trump, January 20, 2017, 11:33 
     a.m.
       The Architect of the Capitol, Stephen T. Ayers, accompanied 
     by Mrs. Jennifer Ayers, assembled on the President's 
     platform.
       The leadership of the 58th Presidential Inaugural 
     Committee, Chairman Tom Barrack, Chief Executive Officer Sara 
     Armstrong, and Deputy Chairman Rick Gates, assembled on the 
     President's platform.
       Former Senate Majority Leaders Robert Dole, Trent Lott, and 
     Bill Frist, accompanied by Mrs. Elizabeth Dole, Mrs. Tricia 
     Lott, and Mrs. Karyn Frist, assembled on the President's 
     platform.
       Former Speakers of the House of Representatives Newt 
     Gingrich and John Boehner, accompanied by Mrs. Callista 
     Gingrich and Mrs. Debbie Boehner, assembled on the 
     President's platform.
       The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph F. 
     Dunford, Jr., and Mrs. Ellyn Dunford, accompanied by the 
     Joint Chiefs of Staff, assembled on the President's platform.
       Former Vice Presidents Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney, 
     accompanied by Mrs. Marilyn Quayle and Mrs. Lynne Cheney, 
     assembled on the President's platform.
       Members of the 115th House of Representatives of the United 
     States, led by Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Democratic 
     Whip Steny Hoyer, assembled on the President's platform.
       The Governors of the United States and its territories and 
     the Mayor of the District of Columbia assembled on the 
     President's platform.
       Members of the 115th Senate of the United States assembled 
     on the President's platform.
       The President-elect's Cabinet and agency designees 
     assembled on the President's platform.
       Their Excellencies, the Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions, led 
     by the Acting Dean of the diplomatic corps, His Excellency 
     Serge Mombouli, assembled on the President's platform.
       The Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John 
     G. Roberts, Jr., and the Associate Justices assembled on the 
     President's platform.
       The 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, and 
     Mrs. Rosalynn Carter assembled on the President's platform.
       The 42nd President of the United States, William Jefferson 
     Clinton, and the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, assembled 
     on the President's platform.
       The 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, 
     and Mrs. Laura Bush assembled on the President's platform.
       The children of Vice President-Elect Pence, 2nd Lt. Michael 
     Pence, Charlotte Pence, and Audrey Pence, accompanied by 
     Assistant Secretary of the Senate Mary Suit Jones and Deputy 
     Clerk of the House of Representatives Robert Reeves, 
     assembled on the President's platform.
       The children of President-Elect Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., 
     Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Barron Trump, 
     accompanied by Senate Majority Secretary Laura Dove and House 
     of Representatives Chief Administrative Officer Phillip G. 
     Kiko, assembled on the President's platform.
       The First Lady, Mrs. Michelle Obama, and the wife of the 
     Vice President, Dr. Jill Biden, accompanied by the Democratic 
     staff director of the United States Senate Committee on Rules 
     and Administration, Kelly Fado, Ms. Iris Weinshall, and Mr. 
     Paul Pelosi, assembled on the President's platform.
       Mrs. Melania Trump and Mrs. Karen Pence, accompanied by the 
     Secretary of the Senate, Julie E. Adams; the Clerk of the 
     House of Representatives, Karen Haas; Mrs. Abigail Blunt; 
     Mrs. Janna Ryan; the Honorable Elaine L. Chao; and Mrs. Judy 
     McCarthy, assembled on the President's platform.
       The President of the United States, the Honorable Barack H. 
     Obama, and the Vice President, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 
     accompanied by Senate Democratic Secretary Gary Myrick, 
     Senate Democratic Leader and Rules Committee Ranking Member 
     Senator Charles E. Schumer, and House Democratic Leader 
     Representative Nancy Pelosi, assembled on the President's 
     platform.
       The Vice President-elect of the United States, Michael R. 
     Pence, accompanied by the Inaugural Coordinator for the Joint 
     Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Maria Miller 
     Lohmeyer; the Senate Deputy Sergeant at Arms, James Morhard; 
     the House Deputy Sergeant at Arms, Tim Blodgett; and Senator 
     Patrick Leahy, assembled on the President's platform.
       The President-elect of the United States, Donald J. Trump, 
     accompanied by the staff director for the Joint Congressional 
     Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Stacy McHatton McBride; 
     the Senate Sergeant at Arms, Frank J. Larkin; the House 
     Sergeant at Arms, Paul Irving; the chairman of the Joint 
     Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Senator Roy 
     Blunt; the Rules Committee Ranking Member and Senate 
     Democratic Leader, Senator Charles E. Schumer; the Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives, Representative Paul Ryan; the 
     Senate majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell; the House 
     majority leader, Representative Kevin McCarthy; and the House 
     Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi, assembled on 
     the President's platform.
       Mr. BLUNT. Thank you all. If you have a seat, you can sit 
     down.
       Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. President-elect, Mr. 
     Vice President-elect, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 
     inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of 
     America.

[[Page 1009]]

       Today, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial 
     branches of our constitutional government come together for 
     the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States. 
     Millions of people all over the world will watch and will 
     listen to this event.
       (Applause.)
       Thirty-six years ago, at his first inauguration--it was 
     also the first inauguration on this side of the Capitol--
     President Ronald Reagan said that what we do here is both 
     commonplace and miraculous--commonplace every 4 years since 
     1789, when President George Washington took this exact same 
     oath; miraculous because we have done it every 4 years since 
     1789 and the example it sets for democracies everywhere. 
     Washington believed the inauguration of the second President 
     would be more important than the inauguration of the first. 
     Many people had taken control of a government up until then, 
     but few people had ever turned that control willingly over to 
     anyone else.
       As important as the first transfer of power was, many 
     historians believe that the next election was even more 
     important, when in 1801 one group of people--arguably, for 
     the first time ever in history--willingly, if not 
     enthusiastically, gave control of the government to people 
     they believed had a dramatically different view of what the 
     government would, should, and could do.
       After an election that actually discovered a flaw in the 
     Constitution itself, which was remedied by the 12th 
     Amendment, Thomas Jefferson at that inauguration, beyond the 
     chaos of the election that had just passed, said: ``We are 
     all Republicans; we are all Federalists.''
       After 4 years of Civil War, Lincoln's second inaugural 
     speech tried to find reason for the continued war when he 
     pointed out that both sides ``prayed to the same God.'' He 
     had earlier written about those fervent prayers that ``one 
     side must be and both sides may be wrong,'' but in 1865 he 
     looked to the future--and the memorable moment in that speech 
     was--``with malice toward none and charity for all.''
       In the middle of the Depression, the country was told that 
     the only thing we had to fear was fear itself. President 
     Kennedy talked about the obligation in a democracy to 
     country. The great question that day was ``ask what you can 
     do for your country.'' So we come to this place again, 
     commonplace and miraculous, a national moment of celebration 
     but not a celebration of victory, a celebration of democracy.
       (Applause.)
       As we begin that celebration, I call on His Eminence 
     Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Reverend Dr. Samuel 
     Rodriguez, and Pastor Paula White-Cain to provide readings 
     and the invocation.
       Cardinal DOLAN. The prayer of King Solomon from the Book of 
     Wisdom.
       Let us pray.
       God of our ancestors and Lord of mercy, You have made all 
     things, and in Your providence have charged us to rule the 
     creatures produced by You, to govern the world in holiness 
     and righteousness and to render judgment with integrity of 
     heart. Give us wisdom, for we are Your servants, weak and 
     short lived, lacking in comprehension of judgment and of 
     laws. Indeed, though one might be perfect among mortals, if 
     wisdom which comes from You be lacking, we count for nothing. 
     Now with You is wisdom who knows Your will and was there when 
     You made the world, who understands what is pleasing in Your 
     eyes, what is conformable with Your commands. Send her forth 
     from Your holy heavens. From Your glorious throne dispatch 
     her that she may be with us and work with us that we may 
     grasp what is pleasing to You, for she knows and understands 
     all things and will guide us prudently in our affairs and 
     safeguard us by her glory. Amen.
       Reverend RODRIGUEZ. From the Gospel of Matthew, the fifth 
     chapter:
       God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for 
     Him, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. God blesses those 
     who mourn for they will be comforted. God blesses those who 
     are humble, for they will inherit the Earth. God blesses 
     those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be 
     satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will 
     be shown mercy. He blesses those who are pure in heart, for 
     they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for 
     they will be called children of God. God blesses those who 
     are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is 
     theirs. And God blesses you when people mock you and 
     persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil 
     things against you because you are my followers, for you are 
     the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot 
     be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a 
     basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on its stand where it gives 
     light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your 
     good deeds shine out for all to see, that everyone will 
     praise your heavenly Father.
       Respectfully in Jesus's name.
       Pastor WHITE-CAIN. We come to You, Heavenly Father, in the 
     Name of Jesus, with grateful hearts, thanking You for this 
     great country that You have decreed to Your people. We 
     acknowledge we are a blessed nation with a rich history of 
     faith and fortitude, with a future that is filled with 
     promise and purpose. We recognize that every good and every 
     perfect gift comes from You and the United States of America 
     is Your gift, for which we proclaim our gratitude.
       As a nation, we now pray for our President, Donald John 
     Trump, Vice President Michael Richard Pence, and their 
     families. We ask that You would bestow upon our President the 
     wisdom necessary to lead this great Nation, the grace to 
     unify us, and the strength to stand for what is honorable and 
     right in Your sight.
       In Proverbs 21:1, You instruct us that our leader's heart 
     is in Your hands. Gracious God, reveal to our President the 
     ability to know Your will, the confidence to lead us in 
     justice and righteousness, and the compassion to yield to our 
     better angels.
       While we know there are many challenges before us, in every 
     generation You have provided us the strength and power to 
     become that blessed Nation. Guide us in discernment, Lord, 
     and give us that strength to persevere and thrive. Now bind 
     and heal our wounds and divisions and join our Nation to Your 
     purpose.
       ``Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,'' the Psalmist 
     declared. Let Your favor be upon this one nation under God. 
     Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to 
     all people and nations under Your dominion, a true hope for 
     humankind.
       Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
       We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
       (Performance by the Missouri State University Chorale.)
       (Applause.)
       Mr. BLUNT. Well, the Missouri State University Chorale 
     practices and performs about two blocks from my home in 
     Springfield, MO. So it was easy to find them. We are pleased 
     they are here.
       It is also a great opportunity for me to introduce my 
     colleague, the Senator from New York, Chuck Schumer.
       Mr. SCHUMER. My fellow Americans, we live in a challenging 
     and tumultuous time--a quickly evolving, evermore 
     interconnected world; a rapidly changing economy that 
     benefits too few while leaving too many behind; a fractured 
     media; a politics frequently consumed by rancor. We face 
     threats foreign and domestic. In such times, faith in our 
     government, our institutions, and even our country can erode. 
     Despite these challenges, I stand here today confident in 
     this great country for one reason: you, the American people.
       (Applause.)
       We Americans have always been a forward-looking, problem-
     solving, optimistic, patriotic, and decent people. Whatever 
     our race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, 
     whether we are immigrant or native-born, whether we live with 
     disabilities or do not, in wealth or in poverty, we are all 
     exceptional in our commonly held yet fierce devotion to our 
     country and in our willingness to sacrifice our time, energy, 
     and even our lives to making it a more perfect union.
       Today, we celebrate one of democracies core attributes--the 
     peaceful transfer of power. Every day, we stand up for core 
     democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution; the rule 
     of law; equal protection for all under the law; the freedom 
     of speech, press, religion--the things that make America 
     ``America.'' We can gain strength from reading our history 
     and listening to the voices of average Americans. They always 
     save us in times of strife.
       (Applause.)
       One such American was MAJ Sullivan Ballou. On July 14, 
     1861, when the North and South were lining up for their first 
     battle, a time when our country was bitterly divided and 
     faith in the future of our country was at a nadir, Major 
     Ballou of the 2nd Rhode Island volunteers penned a letter to 
     his wife Sarah.
       It is one of the greatest letters in American history. It 
     shows the strength and courage of the average American. Allow 
     me to read some of his words which echo through the ages.
       My very dear Sarah [he wrote], the indications are very 
     strong that we should move in a few days--perhaps tomorrow.
       If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield 
     for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or 
     lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and 
     my courage does not halt or falter.
       I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon 
     the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to 
     those who went before us through the blood and suffering of 
     the Revolution. And I am willing--perfectly willing--to lay 
     down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this 
     Government and to pay that debt.
       Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to 
     you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could 
     break; and yet my love of country comes over me like a strong 
     wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to 
     the battlefield.
       Sullivan Ballou gave his life on the battlefield a week 
     later at the first Battle of Bull Run. It is because Sullivan 
     Ballou and countless others believed in something bigger than 
     themselves and were willing to sacrifice for it that we stand 
     today in the full blessings of liberty in the greatest 
     country on Earth. That spirit lives on in each of us, 
     Americans

[[Page 1010]]

     whose families have been here for generations and those who 
     have just arrived. I know our best days are yet to come. I 
     urge all Americans to read Ballou's full letter. His words 
     give me solace and strength. I hope they will give you the 
     same.
       (Applause.)
       Now, please stand while the Associate Justice of the 
     Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas, administers the oath of 
     office to the Vice President of the United States.
       Associate Justice CLARENCE THOMAS administered to the Vice 
     President-elect the oath of office prescribed by the 
     Constitution, which he repeated, as follows:
       I, MICHAEL RICHARD PENCE, 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.
       Associate Justice THOMAS. God bless you.
       (Applause.)
       (Performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, accompanied by 
     the United States Marine Band.)
       (Applause.)
       Mr. BLUNT. Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to 
     introduce the Chief Justice of the United States, John G. 
     Roberts, Jr.
       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, DONALD JOHN TRUMP, 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.)
       Mr. BLUNT. What a great honor to be able to introduce for 
     the first time ever, anywhere, the 45th President of the 
     United States of America, Donald J. Trump.
       (Applause.)
       The PRESIDENT. Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, 
     President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow 
     Americans, and people of the world, thank you. We, the 
     citizens of America, are now joined in a great national 
     effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all 
     of our people. Together we will determine the course of 
     America and the world for many, many years to come.
       We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we 
     will get the job done.
       Every 4 years we gather on these steps to carry out the 
     orderly and peaceful transfer of power. And we are grateful 
     to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their 
     gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been 
     magnificent.
       Thank you.
       (Applause.)
       Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning because 
     today we are not merely transferring power from one 
     administration to another or from one party to another, but 
     we are transferring power from Washington, DC, and giving it 
     back to you, the people.
       For too long, a small group in our Nation's Capital has 
     reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne 
     the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share 
     in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and 
     the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but 
     not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not 
     been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your 
     triumphs, and while they celebrated in our Nation's Capital, 
     there was little to celebrate for struggling families all 
     across our land.
       That all changes starting right here and right now, because 
     this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to 
     everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across 
     America. This is your day. This is your celebration. This, 
     the United States of America, is your country.
       (Applause.)
       What truly matters is not which party controls our 
     government but whether our government is controlled by the 
     people. January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the 
     people became the rulers of this Nation again.
       (Applause.)
       The forgotten men and women of our country will be 
     forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You 
     came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic 
     movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before. 
     At the center of this moment is a crucial conviction that a 
     nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great 
     schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their 
     families, and good jobs for themselves.
       (Applause.)
       These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people 
     and a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a 
     different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in 
     poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered 
     like tombstones across the landscape of our Nation, an 
     education system flush with cash but which leaves our young 
     and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge, the crime 
     and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives 
     and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.
       This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. 
     We are one Nation and their pain is our pain. Their dreams 
     are our dreams. Their success will be our success. We share 
     one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of 
     office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all 
     Americans. For many decades we have enriched foreign industry 
     at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of 
     other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of 
     our military.
       We have defended other nations' borders, while refusing to 
     defend our own, and spent trillions and trillions of dollars 
     overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into 
     disrepair and decay. We have made other countries rich while 
     the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has 
     dissipated over the horizon.
       One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, 
     with not even a thought about the millions and millions of 
     American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our 
     middle class has been ripped from their homes and then 
     redistributed all across the world.
       But that is the past. Now, we are looking only to the 
     future. We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to 
     be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in 
     every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will 
     govern our land. From this day forward, it is going to be 
     only America first--America first. Every decision on trade, 
     on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to 
     benefit American workers and American families.
       (Applause.)
       We must protect our borders from the ravages of other 
     countries making our products, stealing our companies, and 
     destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity 
     and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my 
     body, and I will never, ever let you down. America will start 
     winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back 
     our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back 
     our wealth. We will bring back our dreams.
       (Applause.)
       We will build new roads and highways and bridges and 
     airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful 
     Nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to 
     work rebuilding our country with American hands and American 
     labor. We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire 
     American.
       (Applause.)
       We will seek friendship and good will with the nations of 
     the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the 
     right of all nations to put their own interests first.
       We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone but 
     rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for 
     everyone to follow. We will reinforce old alliances and form 
     new ones and unite the civilized world against radical 
     Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from 
     the face of the Earth.
       (Applause.)
       At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance 
     to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to 
     our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. 
     When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for 
     prejudice. The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is 
     when God's people live together in unity. We must speak our 
     minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always 
     pursue solidarity.
       (Applause.)
       When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. 
     There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always 
     be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women 
     of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we 
     will be protected by God.
       (Applause.)
       Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In 
     America, we understand that a nation is only living as long 
     as it is striving.
       We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and 
     no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything 
     about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the 
     hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it 
     cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight 
     and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will 
     thrive and prosper again.
       (Applause.)
       We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock 
     the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries 
     of disease, and to harness the energies, industries, and 
     technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir our 
     soul, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.
       (Applause.)
       It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will 
     never forget--that whether we are Black or Brown or White, we 
     all bleed the same red blood of patriots. We all enjoy the 
     same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great 
     American flag.

[[Page 1011]]

       (Applause.)
       Whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or 
     the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same 
     night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and 
     they are infused with the breath of life by the same Almighty 
     Creator.
       So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and 
     large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear 
     these words. You will never be ignored again. Your voice, 
     your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny, 
     and your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us 
     along the way. Together, we will make America strong again. 
     We will make America wealthy again. We will make America 
     proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, 
     together we will make America great again.
       Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you.
       (Applause.)
       Mr. BLUNT. At this time I call on Rabbi Marvin Hier, the 
     Reverend Franklin Graham, and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson to 
     provide readings and the benediction.
       Rabbi HIER. Eternal God, bless President Donald J. Trump 
     and America, our great Nation. Guide us to remember the words 
     of the Psalmist:
       Who may dwell on Your holy mountain? One who does what is 
     right and speaks the truth, who knows that when you eat the 
     labor of your hands, you are praiseworthy that he who sows in 
     tears shall reap in joy, because the freedoms we enjoy are 
     not granted in perpetuity, but must be reclaimed by each 
     generation. As our ancestors have planted for us, so we must 
     plant for others. While it is not for us to complete the 
     tasks, neither are we free to desist from them.
       Dispense justice to the needy and the orphan, for they have 
     no one but their fellow citizens, and because a nation's 
     wealth is measured by her values and not by her vaults. Bless 
     all of our allies around the world who share our beliefs.
       By the rivers of Babylon we wept as we remembered Zion. If 
     I forget thee O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its 
     skill. The doer of all these shall never falter. May the days 
     come soon when justice will dwell in the wilderness and 
     righteousness will abide in the fertile fields, and the work 
     of righteousness will be peace, quietness, and confidence 
     forever. Amen.
       Reverend GRAHAM. Mr. President, in the Bible, rain is a 
     sign of God's blessing. And it started to rain, Mr. 
     President, when you came to the platform. It is my prayer 
     that God will bless you, your family, your administration, 
     and may He bless America.
       The passage of Scripture comes from 1 Timothy, chapter 2:
       I urge them, first of all, that petitions, prayers, 
     intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people. For 
     kings, for all those in authority, that we may live 
     peacefully quiet lives in all Godliness and Holiness. This is 
     good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to 
     be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is 
     one God, and one Mediator between God and mankind, the man 
     Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all people. Now 
     to the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only God, be 
     honor and glory forever and ever.
       In Jesus's Name. Amen.
       Bishop JACKSON. We thank You, Father, for letting us share 
     this great moment together. Let us not take for granted the 
     air we breathe or the life You have given us. We were all 
     created by You with one blood, all nations to dwell upon this 
     land together. We are not enemies. We are brothers and 
     sisters. We are not adversaries, but we are allies. We are 
     not foes, but we are friends. Let us be healed by the power 
     of Your love and united by the bond of Your Spirit.
       Today we pray for our 45th President, the Vice President, 
     and their families, and give them the wisdom to guide this 
     great Nation, the strength to protect it, and the hands to 
     heal it. We bless President Donald J. Trump. We ask that You 
     give him the wisdom of Solomon, the vision of Joseph, and the 
     meekness of Christ--Solomon who kept peace among many 
     nations, Joseph who dreamt better for the people, and Christ 
     who accepted us all.
       O Lord, mend our hearts and stitch together the fabric of 
     this great country in the spirit of the legendary gospel 
     singer Mahalia Jackson:
       Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe. The Lord will see us 
     through, I do believe. We are on our way to victory, I do 
     believe. We will walk hand in hand, I do believe. We shall 
     live in peace, I do believe. Oh, deep in my heart, I do 
     believe.
       America, we shall overcome. May the Lord bless and keep 
     America, make His face shine upon us and be gracious unto us 
     and give us peace.
       In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
       (Performance of the National Anthem by Jackie Evancho and 
     the United States Marine Band.)
       (The Inaugural Ceremony was concluded at 12:27 p.m.)

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