Biden's Inauguration Day begins at church and ends at the White House

The Capitol building
(Image credit: Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th U.S. president outside the U.S. Capitol at noon on Wednesday, amid heavy security and hours after President Trump leaves Washington, D.C., for Florida. Biden will start the day with Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, their spouses, and the top congressional leaders: Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The inauguration ceremony will begin at 11:15, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office at noon, with Biden's hand on his family Bible. Justice Sonia Sotomayor will swear in Harris. While Trump is skipping the inauguration, outgoing Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to attend. The theme of Biden's inaugural address is the aspirational "America United."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.