Swearing-In Ceremony for President George W. Bush
Fifty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies, January 20, 2005
Program
Prelude
The United States Marine Band; Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Colburn, Director
Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks
- Trent Lott
Invocation
- The Reverend Dr. Luis León
Musical Selection
- Susan Graham
Mezzo-soprano
Vice Presidential Oath of Office
Administered to Dick Cheney by the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Musical Selection
- Denyce Graves
Presidential Oath of Office
Administered to George W. Bush by the Honorable William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Bible Used: Family Bible, open to Isaiah 40:31
- Attire: Dark business suit, blue tie
Inaugural Address
‘On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution and recall the deep commitments that unite our country.’
Read the address
(Words: 2065)
Musical Selection
The United States Marine Band, The United States Herald Trumpets and The United States Navy Sea Chanters
Benediction
- Pastor Kirbyjon H. Caldwell
The National Anthem
- Bradley Bennett
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Location
West Front,
U.S. Capitol
Washington, DCWeather
Mostly cloudy with some sunny breaks. Northwest wind 14 mph. Around 1" of snow lay on the ground. 35°F noon temperature.
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Facts, Firsts & Precedents
Largest inaugural platform to date.
First time anti-counterfeiting security has been designed into the tickets.
First live Web Cam of inaugural platform construction.
First inauguration with secure inaugural credentials.
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Inaugural Committee
- Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), Chair
- Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)
- Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)
- Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
- Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Theme: A Vision of America
Two centuries ago, in 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition sighted the Pacific Ocean, reaching the end of its mission to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Two years earlier, the Senate had approved the treaty purchasing the territory from France, which doubled the size of the United States. President Thomas Jefferson then sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a mission to explore the new territory, both as a scientific venture and to consider its commercial possibilities. In his 1805 inaugural address, Jefferson celebrated the expansion of the country as a means of preserving and protecting the American Nation. “The larger our association, the less will it be shaken by local passions,” he reasoned; “and in any view, is it not better that the opposite bank of the Mississippi should be settled by our own brethren and children, than by strangers of another family?”