The second inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 21, 2013. The inauguration will mark the beginning of the second term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President.
Mandated by the Constitution, all presidents begin their new term on January 20 at noon EST. Because January 20 falls on a Sunday, two ceremonies, one private and one public, have been scheduled. The private ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, January 20, and the public ceremony for Monday, January 21. Chief Justice John Roberts has been named to administer the oath to the president and Justice Sonia Sotomayor to administer the oath to the vice president on both days.[1][2]
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was named the chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee On Inaugural Ceremonies.
Military support to the 57th Inauguration is being coordinated by Joint Task Force – National Capital Region, providing musical military units, marching bands, color guards, ushers, firing details, and salute batteries.
On January 7, 2013, Louie Giglio was selected to deliver the benediction at the ceremony.[3] Giglio at first accepted, but then withdrew in response to controversy over a mid-1990s sermon in which he called on Christians to battle the gay rights movement’s “aggressive agenda”.[4] The substitution of Rev. Luis Leon, pastor of Saint John’s Church near the White House, was announced on January 15.[5]
On January 8, 2013, Richard Blanco was named the inaugural poet for Barack Obama‘s second inauguration, the fifth person to play that role. He is the first immigrant, first Latino, and first gay person to be inaugural poet.[6]
