"Celebrating America's Spirit Together"
On Saturday,
January 20, 2001 at 12:02 p.m. at the West Front of the
Capitol, George W. Bush placed his hand on the Bible,
swore the oath of office and officially became the 43rd
president of the United States.
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In
addition to the swearing in of the new president
and the delivery of his inaugural address, a
host of activities are organized to celebrate
the arrival of a new administration. The
Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) plans
many of these events and is aided by the Armed
Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), a joint task
force of the five Armed Forces branches.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural
Ceremonies (JCCIC) is responsible for all events
held at the Capitol. |
| Jeanne Johnson Phillips, a
businesswoman from Dallas, Texas, served as
executive director of the 2001 Presidential
Inaugural Committee. She helped organized
both of Governor Bush's inaugurations, and most
recently served as a senior adviser on finance
for the Bush campaign and as deputy chair of
operations for Victory 2000 at the Republican
National Committee. Also shown above are
the four co-chairs, Mercer and Gabrielle
Reynolds of Cincinnati, Ohio and Bill and Kathy
DeWitt, also of Cincinnati. |
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Organization
of
the PIC was delayed due to the battle over
Florida. However, AFIC continued with its
planning and preparation during this time,
providing a solid foundation for PIC when it
finally formed in the second half of
December. Under the theme "Celebrating
America's Spirit Together," PIC organized
activities ranging from a star-studded opening
celebration at Lincoln Memorial to a prayer
service at Washington National Cathedral.
Given the compressed timeframe for planning, the
festivities were somewhat trimmed down; for
example there was no open festival on the
Mall. Nonetheless all the major elements
were present including the parade down
Pennsylvania Avenue and the inaugural
balls. |
| On
January 2, 2001 the PIC announced the inaugural
theme: "Celebrating America's Spirit Together"
as well as the schedule of events. |
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Celebrating America's
Spirit Together
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Thursday,
January 18, 2001
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The
Presidential Inaugural Opening
Celebration
Lincoln
Memorial
3:30
pm - Ceremony begins.
Open
to the public.
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Candlelight Dinners
Washington
Hilton
Hotel
National
Building
Museum
Union
Station
8:00
p.m. - Dinners begin.
Not
a public event.
Cost:
$2,500 per ticket
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Friday,
January 19, 2001
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Laura
Bush Celebrates America's Authors
Constitution
Hall
10:00
am - Event begins.
Ticket
required,
limited seating.
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The Vice President-Elect Salutes
America's Veterans
George
Washington
University Smith Center
2:00
pm - Event begins.
Ticket
required,
limited seating.
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Concert
Celebrating
America's Youth
MCI
Center
4:00
pm - Event begins.
Tickets
required,
limited seating.
Cost:
$5
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Wyoming State Society Event
Chamber
of Commerce Building
Ticketed
through
Wyoming State Society.
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Texas
Black Tie & Boots Ball
Marriott
Wardman
Park Hotel
Ticketed
through
Texas State Society.
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Saturday,
January 20, 2001
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St. John's Church Service
9:30
a.m. - Prayer service begins.
Private
prayer service for the families and close
friends of President-elect Bush and Vice
President-elect Cheney.
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White House Coffee Reception
10:25
a.m.
President-elect
Bush
and Mrs. Bush, the Vice President-elect and
Mrs. Cheney have coffee with President and
Senator Clinton and Vice President and Mrs.
Gore.
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Inaugural
Ceremony
- Swearing-In
United
States Capitol
11:30
a.m. - Ceremony begins.
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Inaugural
Luncheon
Statuary
Hall, U.S. Capitol
1:00
p.m.
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Inaugural
Parade
Pennsylvania
Avenue
2:00
pm - Parade begins.
No
ticket required for public standing areas.
Ticket
required
for bleacher seating - $100, $50, $15.
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Inaugural
Balls
(Eight
Locations)
7:00
pm - Events begin.
Cost:
$125 per ticket
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Sunday,
January 21, 2001
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Washington
National
Cathedral Prayer Service
8:30
a.m. - Prayer service begins.
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Sunday White House Tours
3:00
p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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Note:
In addition to the above events,
President-elect Bush and Mrs. Bush attended
an Inaugural Underwriter Reception at the
Library of Congress from about 6:15 p.m. to
6:45 p.m on Friday, January 19, 2001.
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PIC operated in
Washington, DC out of a 65,000 square foot
government-owned space prepared by the General Services
Administration. It raised the bulk of the money
needed for inaugural activities through donations, sales
of tickets to various events, and commemoratives as well
as through in-kind contributions. PIC accepted
contributions of up to $100,000 and raised a total of
about $40 million. Congress also appropriated
monies for the inauguration. JCCIC received
$1,000,000 for activities at the Capitol, over half of
which went to constructing the platform and $5,961,000
was provided to reimburse the District of Columbia for
expenses related to inauguration activities [H.J.Res.
125]. City costs included security, building
the parade review and media stands (the public bleachers
along Pennsylvania Avenue were a PIC expense), and a
whole range of preparatory work done by the Department
of Public Works. The final cost to the federal
government will likely be more than the $5.9 million;
for example, in early Feb. 2001, DC Police Chief Charles
Ramsey said that while $2.3 million was provided to
cover security, his department spent about $3 million on
overtime and other jurisdictions added an additional
$900,000.
2001
Presidential Inaugural Committee
Armed Forces Inaugural
Committee
Joint Congressional
Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
S.
CON.
RES. 89--Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural
Ceremonies
Photos--Preparing
the Viewing Stands for the Inaugural Parade
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| Jan.
15, 2001--As finishing touches are applied, a
network television crew looks over the site in
preparation for Saturday. |
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| Jan.
2001--Blue carpet treatment. |
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| Jan.
10, 2001--Only ten days to go. |
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| Dec.
2000--Construction continues. |
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| Nov.
28, 2000--Workmen begin preparing the viewing
stands for the Inaugural Parade on Pennsylvania
Avenue in front of the White House. |
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"j20-dc" Protests
The
controversy over the outcome in Florida served as a
catalyst for a number of protests. Some of the same
activists who demonstrated at the World Trade
Organization meetings in Seattle, and continued to
speak out at the World Bank/IMF meetings in
Washington, DC, the national nominating conventions in
Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and the presidential
debates, were involved. The "Justice Action
Movement (J.A.M)," which described itself as "a
unified multi-issue coalition advocating a political
system that gives each person full representation and
justice," planned nonviolent protests and an
"InaugurAUCTION! ball. Jesse Jackson called for
"A Week of Moral Outrage" January 15-20 and for "Voter
Integrity Rallies and Prayer Vigils" to be held at
local federal buildings on Inauguration Day.
According to a National Organization of Women press
release, "Feminists will be out in force on
inauguration day to demonstrate that while our votes
weren't all counted, our voices will be heard."
An "Inaugural Day Voter March" was planned "to protest
election irregularities and the disenfranchisement of
voters." Supporters of death row inmate Mumia
Abu-Jamal gathered as well. Protesters bearing
signs were mixed in along the parade route. They
greeted the Texas float with boos as it passed Freedom
Plaza.
Independent Media
Center-DC
Copyright
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Eric M.
Appleman/Democracy in Action.
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