#Inauguration January 20

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A few weeks ago I finished reading “Traitor to His Class” it was biography by H.W. Brands on the Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In that book I learned that FDR became the first President to be INAUGURATED on January 20. That took place for his second term in office on January 20, 1937. The change was made by a Constitutional Amendment.

The oath of office is the big part of INAUGURATION Day. Here are the 35 words President Joe Biden will say today.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.“

Congress set March 4, 1789 as INAUGURATION Day. The logic for a four-month gap after election day was in part to count votes and the time it took to travel to the nation’s capital. Like many things we have seen in 2020 this rule encountered a big problem. In 1860 the election of Abraham Lincoln and the 4 month lame duck session resulted in what historians have labeled the “Secession Winter”. This link shows the 1860 presidential election day voting preferences by counties. The 1860 election hinged almost entirely on the question of slavery’s expansion into the western territories. 

The lame-duck period caused problems and gave seven states time to plan leaving the Union before INAUGURATION Day. Over time it became more and more evident that the decision made for 1789 did not work in the 20th Century.

The 20th Amendment, which was ratified on January 23, 1933, moved up INAUGURATION Day to January 20 and the first meeting of the new Congress to January 3. This amendment is often called the “Lame Duck” Amendment. FDR became our First President to take the oath of office on January 20th and today Joe Biden will become the our next.

I hope and pray that INAUGURATION Day will lead us to “Healing Spring” for the country in a number of ways.