Credit: (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Jan. 19, 2021: President-elect Joe Biden speaks at the Major Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle, Delaware.
When he becomes president Wednesday, Joseph Biden is expected to make immediate changes in policy areas upended by President Trump first through executive orders, then through an aggressive push with a Congress controlled by Democrats.
Up first, as Biden has promised, is an overhaul in the nation’s response to COVID-19 and its rollout of the needed vaccines. Then a return to work combating climate change. Beyond that, a new Biden administration is expected to have broad impact on life in New Jersey. From finances to climate to COVID-19, NJ Spotlight News looks at key areas where Biden is said to be making changes.
It was an inauguration like no other.
In a city on high alert and amid a still-raging pandemic, Joe Biden took the oath of office Wednesday, becoming the 46th president of the United States, declaring it a victory for “the cause of democracy.”
“This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day,” Biden said in his inaugural address after being administered the oath office by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts. “Today, we celebrate the triumph, not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy.”
The swearing-in took place from the same Capitol steps overrun by a mob of Trump supporters exactly two weeks ago, seeking to disrupt lawmakers from formally counting the electoral votes that affirmed Biden’s victory in last fall’s presidential contest.
Outgoing President Donald Trump released a flurry of late-night pardons that immediately drew ire and criticism from watchdog groups, law experts, and legal observers chief among them, ,his decision to pardon former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. According to The Daily Beast, Trump s .
Donald Trump spends final minutes in office at Mar-a-Lago, is first president to skip inauguration in more than 150 years David Jackson, USA TODAY
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WASHINGTON – Outgoing President Donald Trump spent his final minutes as president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, becoming the first president in more than 150 years to skip his successor s inauguration.
Trump also suggested he would seek to remain in political life. We will be back in some form, Trump told supporters at an early farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews that featured a 21-gun salute and a military band playing Hail to the Chief.
The crowd was smaller than in past inaugurations, but there was still a lot of pomp and circumstance.
The front of the Capitol was adorned with large American flags. The Marine Band serenaded guests with patriotic music. The arrival of dignitaries was announced over a loudspeaker accompanied by a drumroll.
Seats were spaced six feet apart as a safety protocol. And what is normally the standing-room-only section was instead filled by members of the news media.
Here s what Washington, D.C., looked like on a historic day:
Vice President Kamala Harris is sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor during the 2021 Presidential Inauguration.Robert Deutsch, Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY