Political Quotes

“Mr. President, on January 20, the world watched as we inaugurated the 46th President of the United States on the west front of the Capitol, as we have done now for the last four decades. But this was the 59th time in our Nation's history that we have gathered to witness one of what has really become one of our most iconic and sacred ceremonies. I described it that day, as President Reagan did 40 years earlier, as ``commonplace and miraculous.'' Commonplace because we have done it every 4 years since 1789; miraculous because we have done it every 4 years since 1789. This is the second time I have had the privilege to serve as the chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies or, as it is normally known, JCCIC, and that is how I will refer to it in the rest of these remarks. Senator Klobuchar, the ranking member at that time on the Rules Committee, was a big part of helping with that, as were the other four members of that committee. In a normal year, organizing an inauguration is a major undertaking, but when you add a pandemic and then you add the events of January 6, it is uniquely challenging. Without a doubt, this was an inauguration of twists and turns, where adaptability, creativity, and determination were crucial. Today, I am here on the floor to thank the staff, the partners, and the volunteers who met those challenges and made this year's inauguration a success.…”