President Joseph R. “Joe” Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris were sworn into office on Wednesday, completing America’s hallmark peaceful transition of power.
Biden is now the 46th President of the United States.
His inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol featured a lower attendance than is typical, largely due to COVID-19 and heightened security protocols.
Outgoing President Donald J. Trump did not attend the inauguration, as he left Washington, D.C. en route to Florida earlier in the day. At a sending-off event at Joint Base Andrews, he delivered remarks wishing the Biden administration well.
“I wish the new administration great luck and great success,” said Trump.
He and first lady Melania Trump then departed on Air Force One in perfect sync with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” blaring over the loudspeakers on the tarmac.
Air Force One leaves Joint Base Andrews, with US President Donald Trump onboard for the final time – as the Frank Sinatra song, My Way, plays out across the air basehttps://t.co/AbQxlbyS9h pic.twitter.com/UFAH2VgJic
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 20, 2021
While members of the public from Alabama were barred this year from attending the inauguration on the National Mall, certain dignitaries from the Yellowhammer State were present for the ceremony, such as U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), former U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) and other current members of Alabama’s congressional delegation.
Vice President Michael R. “Mike” Pence also attended the inauguration.
In a statement to Yellowhammer News, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), the dean of Alabama’s House delegation, said, “I of course did not support Joe Biden, but he is now the President of the United States. And I echo President Trump in that I will be praying for him and his family in these coming years. I will look for ways to work with his Administration but I will also work to make sure that conservative ideals and principles are not swept aside either.”
The sole Democrat in Alabama’s congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), celebrated the occasion in a statement.
“It is a new day in America! I am reminded that today never would have been possible without every known and unknown foot soldier of the civil and voting rights movements who marched, bled, and died so that all Americans could carry out their sacred right to vote,” she said. “Likewise, today couldn’t have been possible without the immense support of incredible grassroots organizers and the American people, who overwhelmingly made their voices heard when they cast their votes for President Joe Biden in November.”
“We owe all the American heroes before us an immense debt of gratitude for paving the way for the first Black female Vice President and for the millions of girls and young women who may now see themselves in Vice President Kamala Harris,” Sewell concluded. “The monumental task of unifying our nation in this great time of reckoning and divide will not be easy to overcome, but I look forward to working with President Biden and Vice President Harris to stand up for the people of Alabama’s 7th District.”
U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (AL-01) said in a statement of his own, “Today, a new President and Vice President are being sworn in. Although I have significant disagreements with the new administration’s vision for America, I remain committed to fighting for south Alabama and bringing home results for my district. I’m optimistic that we can find some common ground on bipartisan issues like protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions, modernizing our nation’s infrastructure, growing our economy, and ultimately defeating the coronavirus pandemic.”
Fellow freshman member U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) stated, “Today we’ll witness the peaceful transition of power, and I will be praying for our nation and its leaders as we work towards our shared goals of restoring our economy in the aftermath of this pandemic and continuing President Trump’s groundbreaking efforts to deliver COVID vaccines to every American in record time. I will also hold Biden’s administration accountable on issues such as protecting the unborn, stopping illegal immigration, strengthening our military, and ensuring election integrity. Regardless of who is president, I remain dedicated to serving the people of Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District and representing their values in Congress.”
Congratulations to our 46th @POTUS, Joe Biden, and @VP, Kamala Harris. I wish them all the best as they lead our country over the next four years. Thank you to the @USNationalGuard and other law enforcement for securing and protecting our Capitol for this important ceremony.
— Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) January 20, 2021
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03) said in a statement, “Today Joe Biden was sworn in as President of the United States. Our great nation faces many grave challenges including a dishonest China bent on world domination, the pandemic and permanently reopening our economy. I vehemently disagree with many of the policies that incoming President Biden supports and I will continue to fight for hard working East Alabama families and our conservative values. Although our disagreements are strong and rooted in deeply held beliefs, our political discourse must be civil and respectful. I echo the words of President Trump in his farewell address this morning to wish the new administration great luck and great success. May God continue to bless America.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
