Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural
June 20, 2024
Ceremonies: History, Membership, and
Jacob R. Straus
Inaugural Activities
Specialist on the Congress

Every four years, at noon on January 20, the President-elect is scheduled to be sworn in as
President of the United States. The year before the inauguration, Congress establishes the Joint

Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The Joint Inaugural Committee is
responsible for the planning and execution of the swearing-in ceremony and hosting an inaugural luncheon for the President
and Vice President at the U.S. Capitol. In recent years, the inaugural ceremony has been held at the U.S. Capitol, with the
swearing-in ceremony on the West Front Steps and special events traditionally held in the Rotunda and Emancipation Hall of
the Capitol Visitor Center.
The tradition of authorizing a Joint Inaugural Committee dates to 1901 for the inauguration of President William McKinley.
At that time, the House and Senate authorized that inaugural expenses be paid by the Clerk of the House of Representatives
and the Secretary of the Senate and created a committee of three Representatives and three Senators appointed by the
President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. Since 1901, the Joint Inaugural Committee has been
authorized quadrennially.
On May 6, 2024, Congress authorized the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) for the 2025
Inauguration (S.Con.Res. 34). The concurrent resolution established the Joint Inaugural Committee, consisting of three
Senators, appointed by the President of the Senate, and three Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House. For the
2025 inauguration, the appointed Senators are Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration;
Charles Schumer, Senate majority leader; and Deb Fischer, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration. In the House, the appointed Representatives are Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve
Scalise, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Also on May 6, 2024, Congress authorized the JCCIC to use the Rotunda and
Emancipation Hall for inaugural-related activities (S.Con.Res. 35).
This report provides historical information on the Joint Inaugural Committee, including the committee’s origin, membership,
leadership, staffing, and inaugural activities.
Congressional Research Service

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Introduction
Every four years, on January 20 at noon, the President-elect is scheduled to be sworn in as
President of the United States.1 Pursuant to the Constitution, the most recent presidential
inauguration occurred on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.2 Each year prior to an inauguration,
Congress authorizes the creation of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
(Joint Inaugural Committee, or JCCIC). The Joint Inaugural Committee is responsible for the
planning and execution of the swearing-in ceremony and for hosting an inaugural luncheon for
the President and Vice President at the U.S. Capitol.3
The 2025 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies was authorized by the 118th
Congress (2023-2024) on May 6, 2024.4 The concurrent resolution established the Joint Inaugural
Committee, consisting of three Senators, appointed by the President of the Senate, and three
Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House. The resolution further authorized the
committee “to make the necessary arrangements for the inauguration of the President-elect and
the Vice President-elect of the United States on January 20, 2025.”5
This report provides a history of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,
including committee membership, staffing, and inaugural activities.

1 Historically, public presidential inaugurations have not been held on a Sunday. On seven occasions, Inauguration Day
(under the 20th Amendment, Inauguration Day occurs on January 20) has fallen on a Sunday. In each case, a private
swearing-in ceremony occurred on Sunday, with a public ceremony on Monday. An Inauguration Day first fell on a
Sunday in 1821, at the outset of President James Monroe’s second term. At that time, when concern was expressed
regarding the “propriety of scheduling the ceremony for his second inauguration on the Sabbath Day,” President
Monroe sought advice from Chief Justice John Marshall on when to schedule his swearing-in ceremony. Marshall, after
consulting with the other members of the Supreme Court, determined that postponing the oath until Monday “unless
some official duty should require it being taken on Sunday,” was the proper course of action. For more information on
President Monroe’s second inauguration, see Paul F. Boller, Jr., Presidential Inaugurations (New York: Harcourt, Inc.,
2001), p. 23. Other occasions where Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday and the public ceremony was held on Monday
were in 1849 for President Zachary Taylor, 1877 for President Rutherford B. Hayes, 1917 for President Woodrow
Wilson, 1957 for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1985 for President Ronald Reagan, and 2013 for President Barack
Obama. When the public inauguration ceremony occurs on Monday, there are examples where Congress has authorized
the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) to organize the public ceremony on the alternate
date. For example, in the 112th Congress, S.Con.Res. 35 authorized the JCCIC for a January 21, 2013, ceremony and
S.Con.Res. 36 authorized the use of the Capitol Rotunda and Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center for
January 21, 2013, inaugural activities. A similar JCCIC authorization resolution was agreed to for President Reagan’s
1985 inauguration on January 21, 1985. See S.Con.Res. 122 (98th Congress), 98 Stat. 3452 (1984).
2 National Archives, “20th Amendment,” Constitution of the United States, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/
constitution_amendments_11-27.html.
3 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, http://inaugural.senate.gov.
4 S.Con.Res. 34 (118th Congress), agreed to by the Senate on May 2, 2024, and by the House on May 6, 2024.
“Establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the Inauguration of the President-Elect
and Vice President-Elect of the United States on January 20, 2025,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170
(May 2, 2024), p. S3368; and “Establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the
Inauguration of the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect of the United States on January 20, 2025,” Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (May 6, 2024), p. H2861.
5 S.Con.Res. 34 (118th Congress).
Congressional Research Service

1

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Origin of the Joint Inaugural Committee
In 1901, Congress established the first Joint Inaugural Committee for the inauguration of
President William McKinley.6 The Senate supervised inaugural ceremonies prior to 1901. Sole
responsibility for inaugural preparation and supervision had been a Senate function because of its
standing as a continuing legislative body, whereas the House must organize anew at the beginning
of each Congress.7 The relevance of this consideration was particularly evident during the times
when the inauguration occurred on March 4, the same day a new Congress convened.8 There is no
evidence indicating that the House seriously challenged this reasoning until 1901.
Inaugural Organization Prior to 1901
The Senate and House first agreed on a joint resolution calling for the creation of a Joint
Inaugural Committee “consisting of three Senators and three Representatives ... to make the
necessary arrangements for the inauguration of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the
United States” in 1901. The resolution called for the members of the joint committee “to be
appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives respectively.”9
Initial House debate on the Joint Inaugural Committee was limited. It was focused not on making
the House an equal partner for planning the ceremonies, but rather on what House Members felt
was historical discrimination against the chamber with regard to their seating at the rear of the
inaugural platform. The issue was first raised in February 1885, when Representative Roger Q.
Mills introduced a resolution proposing that the House “decline to take any part” in that year’s
inaugural ceremonies because the Senate committee appointed to arrange the inaugural
ceremonies had declined to give House Members their proper place. Following a relatively short
debate, the House rejected Mills’s resolution by a 185 to 55 margin.10 That year, nevertheless, the
Speaker of the House appointed three Members of the House to cooperate with the Senate
inaugural committee. The trio, however, had virtually no involvement in the ceremonies.11
On the eve of the next inaugural (1889), Representative Newton C. Blanchard revived the issue of
what he called the “inferior position assigned the members of the House and to members-elect” at
the inaugural ceremonies. Blanchard’s resolution declared that the place assigned to “members of
the House of Representatives and members-elect” at the inauguration of the President “should be
equal and similar to that of members of the Senate.” Look at the official program, he told his
House colleagues, and you “will see that a place is assigned to the members of the Senate at least
three degrees higher in honor and dignity than the place assigned to members of the House of

6 “Inaugural Arrangements,” Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (February 5, 1901), p. 1923; and “Inauguration
Arrangements,” Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (February 5, 1901), p. 1960.
7 Senator John Sherman, “Inaugural Ceremonies,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, vol. 16, part 3 (March
2, 1885), p. 2390.
8 The ratification of the Twentieth Amendment on January 23, 1933, moved Inauguration Day to January 20 and the
beginning of Congress to January 3.
9 “Inaugural Arrangements,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (January 17, 1901), p. 1125; and
“Inaugural Arrangements,” Senate debate, Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (February 4, 1901), p. 1901.
10 “Privileges of Representatives in Inaugural Ceremonies,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 16, part 3
(March 2, 1885), p. 2406; and “Privilege of the House-Inaugural Ceremonies,” House debate, Congressional Record,
vol. 16, part 3 (March 2, 1885), pp. 2406-2410.
11 Representative Charles Baker, “Arrangements for the Inauguration,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 20,
part 3 (March 2, 1889), p. 2716. Although the Congressional Record of 1885 does not acknowledge the appointment of
the committee, Representative Charles Baker provided this information during the 1889 House debate.
Congressional Research Service

2

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Representatives.”12 The Senate Inaugural Committee had also given Senators five tickets for the
inaugural platform, while providing Representatives with only two tickets. The resolution was
agreed to at the conclusion of Blanchard’s remarks, but at his suggestion was not communicated
to the Senate:
I did not think [it] proper to include in the resolution any direction that it should be
communicated to the Senate. I considered it the proper and perhaps the more dignified
course to simply assert the principle that the House of Representatives have a right to an
equal share in these arrangements with the Senate, and to let that go on record as the
judgment of the House, so that in the future, when arrangements are to be made for other
inaugurations of Presidents, the Senate will take cognizance of the fact that this protest and
this declaration of the principle involved and of the rights of the House was adopted by this
House of Representatives.13
Creating the First Joint Inaugural Committee
More than a decade would pass before the issue of House involvement in the inaugural
ceremonies reemerged. In 1901, when the question was revisited, a different strategy was used.
Representative John Dalzell, who led the effort, focused on modifying the joint resolution
appropriating funds for the inaugural ceremony. He proposed that when the House Appropriations
Committee reported the funding resolution, which had originated in the Senate, it include
language calling for an inaugural program adopted by a joint committee of the Senate and House,
rather than just the Senate.
The subsequently reported resolution stipulated that the Secretary of the Senate, as well as the
Clerk of the House, were authorized to pay expenses associated with the inauguration of the
President. The same day, a resolution introduced by Representative Henry H. Bingham was
agreed to authorizing the creation of a joint inaugural committee “consisting of three Senators and
three Representatives, to be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate and Speaker of
the House, respectively.” Following conference committee deliberations on the funding
resolution, the Senate agreed to appropriation language approved by the House as well as the
House resolution calling for the creation of the first joint inaugural committee.14
Authorizing the 2025 Joint Inaugural Committee
On May 6, 2024, Congress authorized the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural
Ceremonies for the 2025 inauguration.15 The resolution creating the Joint Inaugural Committee
(S.Con.Res. 34), is identical, except for the date, to previous authorizing resolutions:

12 Representative Newton C. Blanchard, “Arrangements for the Inauguration,” House debate, Congressional Record,
vol. 20, part 3 (March 2, 1889), p. 2715.
13 “Arrangements for the Inauguration,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 20, part 3 (March 2, 1889), p. 2716.
14 “Inaugural Expenses, March 4, 1901,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (January 15, 1901), p.
1033; “Inaugural Expenses, March 4, 1901,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (January 16, 1901),
pp. 1105-1106; “Inaugural Arrangements,” Senate debate, Congressional Record, vol. 34, part 2 (January 18, 1901), p.
1161; “Expenses of the Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President,” House debate, Congressional
Record, vol. 34, part 2 (February 2, 1901), p. 1862; and “Inaugural Arrangements,” Senate debate, Congressional
Record, vol. 34, part 2 (February 4, 1901), p. 1901. Also, see 31 Stat. 1461, February 8, 1901.
15 “Establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the Inauguration of the President-
Elect and Vice President-Elect of the United States on January 20, 2025,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170
(May 2, 2024), p. S3368; and “Establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the
Inauguration of the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect of the United States on January 20, 2025,” Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (May 6, 2024), p. H2861.
Congressional Research Service

3

link to page 8 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT COMMITTEE.
There is established a Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (in this
resolution referred to as the “joint committee”) consisting of 3 Senators and 3 Members of
the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The joint committee is authorized
to make the necessary arrangements for the inauguration of the President-elect and Vice
President-elect of the United States on January 20, 2025.
SEC. 2. SUPPORT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE.
The joint committee—
(1) is authorized to utilize appropriate equipment and the services of appropriate personnel
of departments and agencies of the Federal Government, under arrangements between the
joint committee and the heads of those departments and agencies, in connection with the
inaugural proceedings and ceremonies; and
(2) may accept gifts and donations of goods and services to carry out its responsibilities.16
Also on May 6, 2024, the House and Senate agreed to S.Con.Res. 35, to authorize the JCCIC to
use the Capitol Rotunda and Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center for inaugural
events.17
Committee Membership
Since 1901, when the first Joint Inaugural Committee was authorized, membership on the
committee has consisted of three Senators and three Members of the House of Representatives.
Currently, appointments to the committee are made by the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House respectively. Appointments are generally for the length of committee
activities. For House committee members, however, reappointment is necessary because an
intervening election occurs between initial appointment and the inaugural ceremony. The need to
reappoint committee members does not generally apply to the Senate, unless a Senate committee
member leaves the chamber in the intervening election.
Senate Membership
Senate membership on the Joint Inaugural Committee is appointed by the President of the
Senate,18 pursuant to authority granted in the authorizing resolution. Past practice has been for the
President of the Senate to appoint the chair and ranking member of the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration, and the Senate majority leader. For the 2025 inauguration, the
President of the Senate appointed Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration; Senator Deb Fischer, the committee’s ranking member; and Senator
Charles Schumer, Senate majority leader.19 Table 1 lists all Senators on the Joint Inaugural
Committee since 1901.

16 S.Con.Res. 34 (118th Congress).
17 S.Con.Res. 35 (118th Congress).
18 Pursuant to Article I, Section 3, clause 4, the Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the
Senate. For more information, see U.S. Congress, Senate, The Constitution of the United States of America, 111th
Cong., 2nd sess., S.Doc. 111-39 (Washington: GPO, 2010).
19 “Appointment,” Congressional Record, vol. 170 (May 21, 2024), p. S3800.
Congressional Research Service

4

link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Table 1. Senate Membership on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural
Ceremonies, 1901-2025
Inaugural Year
Majority Members
Minority Members
1901
Marcus A. Hanna (R-OH)*
James K. Jones (D-AR)
John C. Spooner (R-WI)
1905
John C. Spooner (R-WI)*
Augustus O. Bacon (D-GA)
Nelson W. Aldrich (R-RI)
1909
Phlander C. Knox (R-PA)*
Augustus O. Bacon (D-GA)
Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA)
1913
Augustus O. Bacon (D-GA)
W. Murray Crane (R-MA)*a
Lee S. Overman (D-NC)
1917
Lee S. Overman (D-NC)*
Francis E. Warren (R-WY)
Hoke Smith (D-GA)
1921
Philander C. Knox (R-PA)*
Lee S. Overman (D-NC)
Knute Nelson (R-MN)
1925
Charles Curtis (R-KS)*
Lee S. Overman (D-NC)
Frederick Hale (R-ME)
1929
George H. Moses (R-NH)*
Lee S. Overman (D-NC)
Frederick Hale (R-ME)
1933
George H. Moses (R-NH)
Joseph T. Robinson (D-AR)*
Frederick Hale (R-ME)
1937
Matthew M. Neely (D-WV)*
Frederick Hale (R-ME)
Joseph T. Robinson (D-AR)
1941
Matthew M. Neely (D-WV)*
Charles L. McNary (R-OR)
Alben W. Barkley (D-KY)
1945
Harry F. Byrd (D-VA)*
Arthur Vandenberg (R-MI)
Kenneth McKellar (D-TN)
1949
Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ)*
Kenneth S. Wherry (R-NE)
J. Howard McGrath (D-RI)
C. Wayland Brooks (R-IL)
Ablen W. Barkely (D-KY)b
1953
Styles Bridges (R-NH)c*
Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ)
Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME)
Herman Welker (R-ID)d
1957
John J. Sparkman (D-AL)
Styles Bridges (R-NH)*
Theodore F. Green (D-RI)
1961
John J. Sparkman (D-AL)*
Styles Bridges (R-NH)
Thomas Hennings (D-MO)
Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ)e
1965
B. Everett Jordan (D-NC)*
Leverett Saltonstall (R-MA)
John J. Sparkman (D-AL)
1969
B. Everett Jordan (D-NC)
Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL)*
Michael J. Mansfield (D-MT)
Congressional Research Service

5

link to page 10 link to page 10 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Inaugural Year
Majority Members
Minority Members
1973
Howard W. Cannon (D-NV)*
Marlow W. Cook (R-KY)*
B. Everett Jordan (D-NC)f
Michael J. Mansfield (D-MT)
1977
Howard W. Cannon (D-NV)*
Mark Hatfield (R-OR)
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
1981
Mark Hatfield (R-OR)*
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
Howard H. Baker (R-TN)
Claiborne Pell (D-RI)g
1985
Charles McC. Mathias (R-MD)*
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)
Howard H. Baker (R-TN)
1989
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)*
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
1993
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)*
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
George J. Mitchell (D-ME)
1997
John Warner (R-VA)*
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
2001
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)*
Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
2005
Trent Lott (R-MS)*
Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
Wil iam Frist (R-TN)
2009
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)*
Bob Bennett (R-UT)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
2013
Charles Schumer (D-NY)*
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
2017
Roy Blunt (R-MO)*
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
2021
Roy Blunt (R-MO)*
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
2025
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)*
Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Source: U.S. Congress, Senate, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “Inaugural Committees,”
https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-committees. For 2025 appointments, see “Appointment,”
Congressional Record, vol. 170 (May 21, 2024), p. S3800.
Notes: Any Senator whose name appears with an asterisk (*) served as committee chair or cochair.
a. Senator W. Murray Crane was the chair of the Committee on Rules in the 62nd Congress (1911-1913). In
the 1912 election, the Democrats became the majority party for the 63rd Congress (1913-1915).
b. In November 1948, Senator Ablen W. Barkely was elected Vice President. Subsequently, Senator Carl T.
Hayden was appointed to replace Senator Barkley on the committee. Additionally, in November 1948, after
the Democratic Party won control of the Senate, Senator Hayden succeeded Senator C. Wayland Brooks as
chair.
c. On January 6, 1953, fol owing the Republican Party gaining control of the Senate as a result of the 1952
election, Senator Styles Bridges replaced Senator Carl T. Hayden as chair.
d. Senator Herman Welker replaced Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who resigned from the committee.
Senator Smith had earlier replaced Senator Ernest W. McFarland, who resigned from the committee.
e. In 1961, Senator Carl T. Hayden replaced Senator Thomas Hennings, who died in office.
Congressional Research Service

6

link to page 10 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

f.
On August 2, 1972, Senator Howard W. Cannon replaced Senator B. Everett Jordan as chair after Senator
Jordan was not re-nominated for the Senate by the North Carolina Democratic Party. Prior to replacing
Senator Jordan as chair, Senator Cannon was the second-ranked Democrat on the Rules and Administration
Committee.
g. On January 5, 1981, Senator Claiborne Pell stepped aside as chair, when the Republicans became the
majority party in the Senate. Senator Mark Hatfield became chair, and Senator Pell remained on the
committee as a fourth Senator pursuant to S.Con.Res. 2 (97th Congress).
House Membership
The Speaker of the House appoints the House membership to the Joint Inaugural Committee,
pursuant to authority granted in the authorizing resolution. Past practice has been for the Speaker
to appoint himself or herself, along with the House majority leader and minority leader. For the
2025 inauguration, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson appointed himself, Majority Leader Steve
Scalise, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.20 Table 2 lists the House Members on the Joint
Inaugural Committee since 1901, including the reappointment or replacement of committee
members in the following Congress, when necessary.
Table 2. House of Representative Membership on the Joint Congressional
Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, 1901-2025
Inaugural
Year
Congress
Majority Members
Minority Members
1901
56th Congress
Joseph G. Cannon (R-IL)
Thomas C. McRae (D-AR)
John Dalzell (R-PA)

57th Congress
Joseph G. Cannon (R-IL)
Thomas C. McRae (D-AR)
John Dalzell (R-PA)
1905
58th Congress
John Dalzell (R-PA)
John S. Wil iams (D-MS)
Edgard D. Crumpacker (R-IN)

59th Congress
John Dalzell (R-PA)
John S. Wil iams (D-MS)
Edgard D. Crumpacker (R-IN)
1909
60th Congress
James F. Burke (R-PA)
John W. Gaines (D-TN)
Horace O. Young (R-MI)

61st Congress
James F. Burke (R-PA)
John W. Gaines (D-TN)
Horace O. Young (R-MI)
1913
62nd Congress
Wil iam W. Rucker (D-MO)
Wil iam B. McKinley (R-IL)
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)

63rd Congress
Wil iam W. Rucker (D-MO)
Wil iam B. McKinley (R-IL)
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)
1917
64th Congress
Wil iam W. Rucker (D-MO)
Wil iam B. McKinley (R-IL)
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)

65th Congress
Wil iam W. Rucker (D-MO)
Wil iam B. McKinley (R-IL)
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)

20 “Appointment of Members to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Congressional Record,
daily edition, vol. 170 (May 21, 2024), p. H3364.
Congressional Research Service

7

link to page 13 link to page 14 link to page 14 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Inaugural
Year
Congress
Majority Members
Minority Members
1921
66th Congress
Joseph G. Cannon (R-IL)
Wil iam W. Rucker (D-MO)
Charles F. Reavis (R-NE)

67th Congress
Joseph G. Cannon (R-IL)
Charles M. Stedman (D-NC)a
Charles F. Reavis (R-NE)
1925
68th Congress
Wil iam W. Griest (R-PA)
Arthur B. Rouse (D-KY)
Lindley H. Hadley (R-WA)

69th Congress
Wil iam W. Griest (R-PA)
Arthur B. Rouse (D-KY)
Lindley H. Hadley (R-WA)
1929
70th Congress
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
Edward W. Pou (D-NC)
Leonidas C. Dyer (R-MO)

71st Congress
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
Edward W. Pou (D-NC)
Leonidas C. Dyer (R-MO)
1933
72nd Congress
Edward W. Pou (D-NC)
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
Henry T. Rainey (D-IL)

73rd Congress
Edward W. Pou (D-NC)
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
Henry T. Rainey (D-IL)
1937
74th Congress
Robert L. Doughton (D-NC)
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
John J. O’Connor (D-NY)

75th Congress
Robert L. Doughton (D-NC)
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
John J. O’Connor (D-NY)
1941
76th Congress
Robert L. Doughton (D-NC)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)

77th Congress
Robert L. Doughton (D-NC)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
1945
78th Congress
Robert L. Doughton (D-NC)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)

79th Congress
Robert L. Doughton (D-NC)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
1949
80th Congress
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Leslie C. Arends (R-IL)b

81st Congress
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
Harry R. Sheppard (D-CA)
1953
82nd Congress
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
John W. McCormack (D-MA)

83rd Congress
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
Leslie C. Arends (R-IL)c
1957
84th Congress
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
John W. McCormack (D-MA)

85th Congress
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
Joseph W. Martin (R-MA)
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Congressional Research Service

8

link to page 14 link to page 14 link to page 14 link to page 14 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Inaugural
Year
Congress
Majority Members
Minority Members
1961
86th Congress
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
John W. McCormack (D-MA)

87th Congress
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
1965
88th Congress
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)

89th Congress
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)d
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
1969
90th Congress
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)

91st Congress
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
1973
92nd Congress
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
T. Hale Boggs (D-LA)e

93rd Congress
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)
1977
94th Congress
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)f
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)

95th Congress
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)
James C. Wright (D-TX)
1981
96th Congress
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)g
James C. Wright (D-TX)

97th Congress
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)
James C. Wright (D-TX)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
1985
98th Congress
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
James C. Wright (D-TX)

99th Congress
Thomas P. O’Neil (D-MA)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
James C. Wright (D-TX)
1989
100th Congress
James C. Wright (D-TX)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
Thomas S. Foley (D-WA)

101st Congress
James C. Wright (D-TX)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
Thomas S. Foley (D-WA)
1993
102nd Congress
Thomas S. Foley (D-WA)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)

103rd Congress
Thomas S. Foley (D-WA)
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
1997
104th Congress
Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)

105th Congress
Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)
Congressional Research Service

9

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Inaugural
Year
Congress
Majority Members
Minority Members
2001
106th Congress
Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)

107th Congress
J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)
2005
108th Congress
J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Tom DeLay (R-TX)

109th Congress
J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Tom DeLay (R-TX)
2009
110th Congress
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
John Boehner (R-OH)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

111th Congress
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
John Boehner (R-OH)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
2013
112th Congress
John Boehner (R-OH)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Eric Cantor (R-VA)

113th Congress
John Boehner (R-OH)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Eric Cantor (R-VA)
2017
114th Congress
Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

115th Congress
Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
2021
116th Congress
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
2025
118th Congress
Mike Johnson (R-LA)
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Source: U.S. Congress, Senate, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “Inaugural Committees,”
https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-committees; Garrison Nelson, Committees in the U.S. Congress 1947-
1992, Volume 2: Committee Histories and Member Assignments (Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1994); U.S.
Congress, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “Committee,” at
http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/committee; Appointment of Members to Joint Congressional Committee
on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 146 (May 8, 2000), p. H2619; “Appointment of
Members to Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol.
142 (September 10, 1996), p. H10115; “Reappointment as Members of Joint Committee on Inaugural
Ceremonies,” Congressional Record, vol. 155 (January 7, 2009), p. H42; “Appointment of Members to the Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 158 (March 20,
2012), p. H1420; “Appointment of Members to Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,”
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 159 (January 14, 2013), p. H82; “Appointment of Members to Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” daily edition, vol. 162 (February 11, 2016), p. H721; U.S.
Congress, Senate, Committee on Rules and Administration, “Photos: Joint Congressional Committee on
Inaugural Ceremonies Kicks Off Planning for 59th Presidential Inauguration,” press release, July 1, 2020,
https://www.rules.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-joint-congressional-committee-on-inaugural-
ceremonies-kicks-off-planning-for-59th-presidential-inauguration; and “Appointment of Members to the Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (May 21, 2024),
p. H3364.
Notes:
a. Representative Charles M. Stedman replaced Representative Wil iam W. Rucker, who resigned from the
committee.
Congressional Research Service

10

link to page 15 link to page 15 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

b. In the 1948 election, the Democrats won the majority in the House for the 81st Congress (1949-1950). As a
result, Representative Leslie C. Arends was removed from the Joint Inaugural Committee and was replaced
with Representative Harry R. Sheppard.
c. In the 1952 election, the Republicans won the majority in the House for the 83rd Congress (1953-1954). As
a result, Representative Leslie C. Arends, who served as the majority whip, was added to the Joint Inaugural
Committee as the second Republican member, replacing Representative John W. McCormack.
d. Representative Gerald R. Ford was elected House minority leader in the 89th Congress (1965-1966),
replacing Representative Charles A. Halleck.
e. On October 16, 1972, a plane carrying Representative T. Hale Boggs disappeared between Anchorage and
Juneau, Alaska, and Representative Boggs was presumed dead. Representative Thomas P. O’Neil was
subsequently elected majority leader and appointed to replace Representative Boggs on the Joint Inaugural
Committee. See H.Res. 1 (93rd Congress) for more information on Representative Bogg’s disappearance
and the role of the House in notifying the Governor of Louisiana.
f.
Speaker of the House Carl B. Albert retired at the end of the 94th Congress (1975-1976). He was replaced
as Speaker of the House by Representative Thomas P. O’Neil and on the Joint Inaugural Committee by
Representative James C. Wright.
g. Representative John J. Rhodes stepped down as minority leader at the end of the 96th Congress (1979-
1980). He was replaced as minority leader and on the Joint Inaugural Committee by Representative Robert
H. Michel.
From time to time, a House Member appointed to serve on the Joint Inaugural Committee has not
been reelected or has resigned from the House leadership, retired, or died in office. In such an
instance, the Speaker has appointed another Representative to the committee in his or her place.
Traditionally, the Speaker replaces the departing committee member with his or her House
leadership replacement. For example, during the 88th Congress (1963-1964), Representative
Charles A. Halleck served as the House minority leader. At the end of the 88th Congress,
Representative Halleck stepped down as minority leader and was replaced by Representative
Gerald R. Ford. In January 1965, when Congress convened for the 89th Congress (1965-1966), the
Speaker reappointed the Joint Inaugural Committee, substituting Representative Ford for
Representative Halleck.
Committee Chairs
Although none of the measures establishing the Joint Inaugural Committee have specified a
process for selecting the committee chair, a Senator has always presided over committee
activities. Through the end of World War II, the Senate traditionally provided the chair for each
joint committee.21 In recent decades, however, the chairmanship of permanent joint committees
has typically rotated between the chambers. Nevertheless, no House Member has ever chaired a
temporary inaugural panel. Table 3 lists the chairs of the Joint Inaugural Committee between
1901 and 2025, and their institutional positions in the Senate at the time of the inauguration.
For 22 of the 32 inaugurations between 1901 and 2025, either the chair of the Senate Committee
on Rules (1901-1945) or the chair of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (1949-
2025) has also chaired the Joint Inaugural Committee. On eight occasions (1901, 1929, 1933,
1953, 1957, 1961, 1969, and 1981), as noted in Table 3, the chairs of the Joint Inaugural
Committee have been Senators drawn from other institutional positions.

21 Floyd M. Riddick, The United States Congress Organization and Procedure (Manassas, VA: National Capitol
Publishers, 1949), pp. 146-148.
Congressional Research Service

11

link to page 16 link to page 16 link to page 16 link to page 16 link to page 16 link to page 16 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Table 3. Chairs of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,
1901-2025
Year
President (Party)
Chair (Party-State)
Senate Institutional Position
1901
Wil iam McKinley (R)
Marcus A. Hanna (R-OH)
Chair, Relations with Canada
1905
Theodore Roosevelt (R)
John C. Spooner (R-WI)
Chair, Rules
1909
Wil iam Taft (R)
Philander C. Knox (R-PA)
Chair, Rules
1913
Woodrow Wilson (D)
W. Murray Crane (R-MA)
Chair, Rulesa
1917
Woodrow Wilson (D)
Lee S. Overman (D-NC)
Chair, Rules
1921
Warren Harding (R)
Philander C. Knox (R-PA)
Chair, Rules
1925
Calvin Coolidge (R)
Charles Curtis (R-KS)
Chair, Rules
1929
Herbert Hoover (R)
George H. Moses (R-NH)
Chair, Post Office and Post Roadsb
1933
Franklin Roosevelt (D)
Joseph T. Robinson (D-AR)
Minority Leader
1937
Franklin Roosevelt (D)
Matthew M. Neely (D-WV)
Chair, Rules
1941
Franklin Roosevelt (D)
Matthew M. Neely (D-WV)
Chair, Rules
1945
Franklin Roosevelt (D)
Harry F. Byrd (D-VA)
Chair, Rules
1949
Harry Truman (D)
Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ)c
Chair, Rules and Administration
1953
Dwight Eisenhower (R)
Styles Bridges (R-NH)d
President Pro Tempore
1957
Dwight Eisenhower (R)
Styles Bridges (R-NH)
Ranking Member, Appropriations
1961
John F. Kennedy (D)
John J. Sparkman (D-AL)
Chair, Small Business
1965
Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
B. Everett Jordan (D-NC)
Chair, Rules and Administration
1969
Richard Nixon (R)
Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL)
Senate Minority Leader
1973
Richard Nixon (R)
Howard W. Cannon (D-NV)e
Chair, Rules and Administration
1977
Jimmy Carter (D)
Howard W. Cannon (D-NV)
Chair, Rules and Administration
1981
Ronald Reagan (R)
Mark Hatfield (R-OR)f
Chair, Appropriations
1985
Ronald Reagan (R)
Charles McC. Mathias (R-MD)
Chair, Rules and Administration
1989
George H. W. Bush (R)
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)
Chair, Rules and Administration
1993
Bil Clinton (D)
Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)
Chair, Rules and Administration
1997
Bil Clinton (D)
John Warner (R-VA)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2001
George W. Bush (R)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2005
George W. Bush (R)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2009
Barack H. Obama (D)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2013
Barack H. Obama (D)
Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2017
Donald J. Trump (R)
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2021
Joseph R. Biden (D)
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Chair, Rules and Administration
2025
TBD
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Chair, Rules and Administration
Sources: U.S. Congress, Senate, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “Past Committees,”
https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-committees; Garrison Nelson, Committees in the U.S. Congress 1947-
1992, Volume 2: Committee Histories and Member Assignments (Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1994); and
David T. Cannon, Garrison Nelson, and Charles Steward III, Committees in the U.S. Congress 1789-1946, Volume 3:
Congressional Research Service

12

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Member Assignments (Washington: CQ Press, 2002); and U.S. Congress, Senate, Joint Congressional Committee on
Inaugural Ceremonies, “About the Committee,” at https://inaugural.senate.gov/about-the-committee.
Notes:
a. Senator W. Murray Crane was the chair of the Committee on Rules in the 62nd Congress (1911-1913). In
the 1912 election, the Democrats became the majority party for the 63rd Congress (1913-1915). Senator
Crane remained as Joint Inaugural Committee chair, despite being a minority committee member.
b. Senator George H. Moses was the third-ranking Republican on the Committee on Rules.
c. In November 1948, Senator Ablen W. Barkely was elected Vice President. Subsequently, Senator Carl T.
Hayden was appointed to replace Senator Barkley on the committee. As a result of the 1948 election, the
Democratic Party won control of the Senate, and Senator Hayden succeeded Senator C. Wayland Brooks
as chair.
d. On January 6, 1953, fol owing the Republican Party gaining control of the Senate as a result of the 1952
election, Senator Styles Bridges replaced Senator Carl T. Hayden as chair.
e. On August 2, 1972, Senator Howard W. Cannon replaced Senator B. Everett Jordan as chair after Senator
Jordan was not re-nominated for the Senate by the North Carolina Democratic Party. Prior to replacing
Senator Jordan as chair, Senator Cannon was the second-ranked Democrat on the Rules and Administration
Committee.
f.
On January 5, 1981, Senator Claiborne Pell stepped aside as chair, when the Republicans became the
majority party in the Senate. Senator Mark Hatfield became chair, and Senator Pell remained on the
committee as the fourth Senator pursuant to S.Con.Res. 2 (97th Congress).
Inaugural Chairs Other than the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration
The chair of the Joint Inaugural Committee in 1901, 1929, 1933, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1969, and
1981, was a Senator other than the chair of the Senate Committee on Rules or the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration. The following section summarizes each of these
instances.
1901
The 1901 Joint Inaugural Committee chair, Senator Marcus A. Hanna, was the chair of the Senate
Committee on Relations with Canada in the 56th Congress (1899-1901). Senator Hanna was a
close political confidant of President William McKinley, having served as his national party chair
and campaign manager in the 1896 election.22 The Committee on Rules was represented on the
Joint Inaugural Committee by Senator John C. Spooner, who was committee chair.23
1929
For the 1929 inauguration, Senator George H. Moses served as the chair of the Joint Inaugural
Committee. Senator Moses was the third-ranking Republican on the Committee on Rules and
chair of the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads.24 The two other Senators on the Joint
Inaugural Committee were also members of the Committee on Rules. Senator Frederick Hale was
the second-ranking Republican on the committee, and Senator Lee S. Overman was the ranking
member.25

22 Herbert Croly, Marcus Alonzo Hanna: His Life and Work (Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1965).
23 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 56th Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 1900), pp. 141-148.
24 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 70th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1928), p. 208.
25 Ibid., pp. 198-203.
Congressional Research Service

13

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

1933
The composition of the 1933 inaugural committee was complicated by the 1932 election, when
party control of the Senate switched from the Republicans to the Democrats. The incumbent, 72nd
Congress (1931-1933)—with a Republican Senate majority—ended its term “just prior to noon”
on Inauguration Day. Senator Joseph T. Robinson, chair of the Joint Inaugural Committee, had
been ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules in the 72nd Congress. At the time of
the inauguration, however, he had become majority leader of the Senate for the 73rd Congress
(1933-1934). Senator George H. Moses, the chair of the Committee on Rules for the 72nd
Congress, was also a member of the inaugural committee, although his term of office ended
minutes prior to the inauguration. The other Senator, Frederick Hale, was the second-ranking
Republican on the Committee on Rules in the 72nd Congress.26
1953
Party control shifted in the Senate as a result of the 1952 elections. On January 6, 1953, when the
Republicans assumed control of the Senate, Senator Styles Bridges succeeded Senator Carl T.
Hayden as chair of the Joint Inaugural Committee for the 83rd Congress (1953-1954).27 Senator
Bridges also served as President pro tempore of the Senate and was chair of the Appropriations
Committee in the 83rd Congress. Senator Bridges never served on the Committee on Rules and
Administration.28 After relinquishing the chair of the Joint Inaugural Committee, Senator Hayden,
who was chair of the Rules and Administration Committee in the 82nd Congress (1951-1952) and
ranking member of this committee for the 83rd Congress (1953-1954), continued to serve as a
member of the Joint Inaugural Committee.29
1957
Senator Styles Bridges returned as chair of the Joint Inaugural Committee for President Dwight
D. Eisenhower’s second inauguration. Even though the Democrats were the majority party in the
85th Congress (1957-1958), Senator Bridges was designated chair of the committee and was the
only Republican appointee.30 Senator Theodore F. Green, chair of the Committee on Rules and
Administration, also served on the Joint Inaugural Committee.31
1961
For President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961, Senator John J. Sparkman served as chair
of the Joint Inaugural Committee. At that time, Senator Sparkman served as chair of the
Committee on Small Business, and had never served on the Committee on Rules and
Administration. Senator Sparkman had previously served as a member of the Joint Inaugural
Committee for the second inauguration of President Eisenhower in 1957.32 Senator Carl T.

26 Garrison Nelson, Committees in the U.S. Congress 1947-1992, Volume 2: Committee Histories and Member
Assignments (Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1994).
27 Ibid., p. 960.
28 Ibid., pp. 99-101.
29 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 83rd Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 1953), p. 198.
30 Nelson, pp. 99-101.
31 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 84th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1956), p. 230.
32 Nelson, pp. 834-835.
Congressional Research Service

14

link to page 23 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Hayden, the other Democratic member, also served as the second-ranking majority member of the
Committee on Rules and Administration.33
1969
In the 91st Congress (1969-1970), Senator Everett M. Dirksen was the Senate minority leader and
ranking member of the Judiciary Committee when he was appointed chair of the Joint Inaugural
Committee. Senator Dirksen had served as minority leader since the 86th Congress (1959-1960),
and had served as a member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee in the 82nd
Congress (1951-1952) as well as the 87th Congress (1961-1962). He had not served on a previous
inaugural committee.34 Representing the Committee on Rules and Administration was its chair,
Senator B. Everett Jordan.35
1981
As a result of the 1980 elections, party control in the Senate switched from the Democrats to the
Republicans. Senator Claiborne Pell, the chair of the Committee on Rules and Administration,
had been chosen chair of the Joint Inaugural Committee prior to the election. On January 6, 1981,
the Senate passed S.Con.Res. 2,36 to amend the concurrent resolution of the prior Congress that
set up the Joint Inaugural Committee and to expand its membership to four Senators and four
Representatives. Named to the additional Senate slot and serving as the new chair was Mark
Hatfield, the ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules and Administration in the 96th
Congress (1979-1980). The other three Senators, Howard H. Baker, Robert C. Byrd, and
Claiborne Pell, also were members of the Committee on Rules and Administration.37
Linkage Between Joint Inaugural Committee Chair and President-Elect’s Party
For 23 of the 31 inaugurations between 1901 and 2021, the party controlling the Senate at the
time of the inauguration was also the party of the President-elect. This was not the case in 1933,
1957, 1969, 1973, 1989, 1997, and 2021. In the first four instances (1933, 1957, 1969, and 1973),
a Joint Inaugural Committee member from the Senate minority party was chosen to be the chair
(or cochair) of the Joint Inaugural Committee. In 1989, 1997, and 2021 a member of the Senate
majority party at the time of the inauguration (and not a member of the President-elect’s party)
chaired the Joint Inaugural Committee.38 See the Appendix for a full list of the members of the
Joint Inaugural Committee on Inauguration Day since 1901.

33 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 86th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1960), p. 239.
34 Nelson, pp. 236-238.
35 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 90th Cong., 2nd sess. (Washington: GPO, 1968), p. 254.
36 S.Con.Res. 2 (97th Congress), agreed to January 6, 1981. Pursuant to the resolution, Senator Pell continued as a
member of the joint inaugural committee. See also, Senator Mark Hatfield, “Resolution to Provide for the Continuation
of the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Senate debate, Congressional Record, vol. 127, part 1 (January 5,
1981), p. 10.
37 U.S. Congress, Congressional Directory, 97th Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 1981), p. 263.
38 In 2021, the majority party in the Senate shifted after the inaugural ceremony, following the swearing in of three new
Senators on January 20, 2021. For more information, see C-SPAN, “New Democratic Senators Ossoff, Warnock, and
Padilla Sworn In,” January 20, 2021, at https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4939966/democratic-senators-ossoff-warnock-
padilla-sworn.
Congressional Research Service

15

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Committee Staffing
Although the Senate and House have had equal membership on the Joint Inaugural Committee for
more than a century, the committee has always been chaired by a Senator. Additionally, the panel
has always included at least one member of Senate Committee on Rules (1901-1945), or the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (1949-2009). The repeated involvement of
members of the Senate Rules Committee or the Committee on Rules and Administration in the
work of the Joint Inaugural Committee reflects some of the key responsibilities assigned to the
committee.
Since 1947, pursuant to the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, the Rules and Administration
Committee—under Senate Rule XXV—has had jurisdiction over “[f]ederal elections generally,
including the election of the President, Vice President, and Members of the Congress.”39 Rule
XXV further gives the committee authority over matters relating to the “payment of money out of
the contingent fund of the Senate or creating a charge upon the same,”40 thereby granting the
panel authority over the miscellaneous costs (e.g., Capitol Police security costs) associated with
the inauguration. Prior to 1947, the precise legislative responsibilities of committees were not
enumerated in Senate rules. Committee jurisdictions were determined by committee name and by
precedent.
Measures establishing the Joint Inaugural Committee have never authorized the employment of
specialized staff.41 Between 1901 and 1992, Congress approved two quadrennial funding
resolutions for the inauguration—one covering the expenses associated with the inaugural
ceremonies, which stipulated the amount of funds being appropriated for the Joint Inaugural
Committee to make arrangements for the official ceremony on Capitol Hill; and the other
providing funds for the District of Columbia to maintain public order and provide fire protection.
The funds appropriated for the Joint Inaugural Committee were used to construct the inaugural
platform, to prepare seating for those attending the swearing-in of the President and Vice
President, and to reimburse other entities for salaries and expenses incurred in arranging the
inaugural ceremonies.42

39 P.L. 79-601, 60 Stat. 812-852, August 2, 1946. Also, see U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration, History of the Committee on Rules and Administration, United States Senate, prepared by Floyd M.
Riddick, Parliamentarian Emeritus of the Senate, with the assistance of Louise M. McPherson, Research Assistant, 96th
Cong., 2nd sess., S.Doc. 96-27 (Washington: GPO, 1980), p. 60; and U.S. Senate, Standing Rules of the Senate, “Rule
XXV cl. 1 (n)(1)(5),” 110th Cong., 1st sess., S.Doc. 110-9 (Washington: GPO, 2007), p. 26. Pursuant to House Rule X,
clause 1(k)(12), the Committee on House Administration has identical authority over the “election of the President,
[and] Vice President ... ” as the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. For more information, see U.S.
Congress, House, Constitution, Jefferson’s Manual, and Rules of the House of Representatives of the United States,
One Hundred Twelfth Congress, 111th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Doc. 111-157 (Washington: GPO, 2011), §724, p. 454.
40 Rule XXV, cl. 1 (n)(1)(8).
41 A typical concurrent resolution creating the joint committee states: “Resolved by the Senate (the House of
Representatives concurring), That a joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies consisting of three
Senators and three Representatives, to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, respectively, is authorized to make the necessary arrangements for the inaugural of the President-elect
and Vice President-elect of the United States on the 20th day of January 2009.” See S.Con.Res. 67 (110th Congress),
agreed to by the House on February 28, 2008 and agreed to by the Senate on February 8, 2008, “Establishing the Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” House debate, Congressional Record, vol. 154 (February 28,
2008), pp. 1164-1165.
42 For example, the appropriations language for 1989 read as follows: “For construction of platform and seating stands
and for salaries and expenses of conducting the inaugural ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the United
States, January 20, 1989, in accordance with such program as may be adopted by the joint committee authorized by
(continued...)
Congressional Research Service

16

link to page 20 link to page 21 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Only since 1996 have the funds appropriated for the Joint Inaugural Committee included specific
language authorizing the committee to reimburse the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration for staff detailed to assist in the inaugural preparations.43 For the 2009
inauguration the resolution provided the following:
That the compensation of any employee of the Committee on Rules and Administration of
the Senate who has been designated to perform service with respect to the inaugural
ceremonies of 2009 shall continue to be paid by the Committee on Rules and
Administration, but the account from which such staff member is paid may be reimbursed
for the services of the staff member (including agency contributions when appropriate) out
of funds made available under this heading.44
While the appropriations language prior to 1996 did not specify the use of Rules and
Administration staff, William Cochrane, the staff director of the Senate Rules and Administration
Committee for many years, is known to have served also as executive director of the Joint
Inaugural Committee, or consultant to it, for the inaugurations from 1973 through 1985.45
Committee Funding
The Joint Inaugural Committee has historically received appropriated funds. In nominal dollars,
the committee has received between $1.237 million and $3.675 million per inauguration since
2005. This money can be used for “salaries and expenses associated with conducting the
inaugural ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the United States,” is disbursed by
the Secretary of the Senate, and, for the 2025 inauguration, remains available until September 30,
2025.46 Table 4 shows the appropriations received by the Joint Inaugural Committee from the
2005-2025 inaugurations, both in nominal and constant dollars, and the appropriations law
citation.
Table 4. Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Appropriations
2005-2025
Inauguration
Appropriations
Appropriations
Year
(Nominal)
(Constant)a
Citation
2025
$3.675 mil ion
$3.675 mil ion
P.L. 118-47 (2024)
2021
$1.5 mil ion
$1.77 mil ion
P.L. 116-94, 133 Stat. 2761 (2019)
2017
$1.25 mil ion
$1.59 mil ion
P.L. 114-113; 129 Stat. 2661 (2015)
2013
$1.237 mil ion
$1.66 mil ion
P.L. 112-74; 125 Stat. 1123 (2011)
2009
$1.24 mil ion
$1.80 mil ion
P.L. 110-161; 121 Stat. 2226 (2007)

Senate Concurrent Resolution 105, One Hundredth Congress, agreed to March 18, 1988, $775,000, to remain available
until September 30, 1989. Such funds shall be available for such salaries (when paid on a reimbursable basis) and
expenses, whether incurred on, before, or after, October 1, 1988.” Also, see P.L. 100-458, 102 Stat. 2166, October 1,
1988.
43 P.L. 104-197, 110 Stat. 2400, September 16, 1996; P.L. 106-520, 114 Stat. 2436, November 15, 2000; P.L. 108-83,
117 Stat. 1019, September 30, 2003; and P.L. 110-161, 121 Stat. 2226, December 27, 2007.
44 P.L. 110-161, 121 Stat. 2226, December 27, 2007.
45 Senator Claiborne Pell, “William Mc. Cochrane: Historical Consultant,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 141, part 3 (February 10, 1995), p. 4428. See also, U.S. President (Gerald R. Ford), “The
Daily Diary of President Gerald R. Ford,” President’s Daily Diary Collection, January 20, 1977, box 85, Gerald R.
Ford Presidential Library, p. 4, http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0036/pdd770120.pdf.
46 P.L. 118-47, March 23, 2024.
Congressional Research Service

17

link to page 21 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Inauguration
Appropriations
Appropriations
Year
(Nominal)
(Constant)a
Citation
2005
$1.25 mil ion
$2.00 mil ion
P.L. 108-83; 117 Stat. 1019 (2003)
Source: CRS analysis of appropriations laws.
Notes:
a. Constant appropriations figures were calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator
at https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl. Calculations were done using January 2024 data for consistency.
Inaugural Activities
The Joint Inaugural Committee has traditionally been responsible for two major inaugural
activities: arranging the swearing-in ceremony and hosting an inaugural luncheon. These two
functions are coordinated with the President-elect’s inaugural committee, and both traditionally
occur at the U.S. Capitol.
Swearing-In Ceremony
In 1801, President-elect Thomas Jefferson became the first President to take the oath of office at
the newly completed Capitol building. On March 2, 1801, President-elect Jefferson wrote to the
Senate proposing the date, time, and place of his swearing-in ceremony. “I beg leave, through
you, to inform the honorable Senate of the United States that I propose to take the oath which the
Constitution prescribes to the President of the United States, before he enters on the execution of
his office, on Wednesday, the 4th instant, at 12 o’clock, in the Senate Chamber.”47 Since that time,
the presidential and vice presidential oath of office has usually been administered at the U.S.
Capitol.
Oversight of the inaugural platform’s construction has been one of the Joint Inaugural
Committee’s primary quadrennial responsibilities. The platform is designed to hold more than
1,600 people—including the President and Vice President-elect, Members of Congress, Supreme
Court Justices, the outgoing President and Vice President, former Presidents, the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, governors, and other dignitaries. The platform is built from scratch for each inauguration by
the Architect of the Capitol, and is fully American with Disabilities Act compliant.48
Beginning in 1981, for President Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration, the inaugural ceremony has
been held on the West Front Steps of the Capitol. Prior to 1981, outdoor inaugural ceremonies
were held on the East Front of the Capitol. The ceremony was moved to the West Front because it
“could accommodate more visitors.”49
Inaugural Luncheon
Following the inaugural ceremony, the Joint Inaugural Committee typically hosts a luncheon for
the President and Vice President in National Statuary Hall. “Often featuring cuisine reflecting the

47 “Proceedings,” Annals of Congress, vol. 10 (March 2, 1801), p. 756. For a recounting of the 1801 Inauguration, also
see “Proceedings,” Annals of Congress, vol. 10 (March 4, 1801), pp. 762-766.
48 U.S. Congress, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “Platform History,” History,
http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/platform/index.cfm.
49 U.S. Congress, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “President Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981,”
Chronology, http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/chronology/rwreagan1981.cfm.
Congressional Research Service

18

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

home states of the new President and Vice-President ... the Luncheon program includes speeches,
gift presentations ... and toasts to the new administration.”50
The tradition of hosting a luncheon dates to 1897.51 Since 1953, the Joint Inaugural Committee
has customarily hosted the luncheon quadrennially.52 In 2021, the inaugural luncheon was not
held due to concerns related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.53 The
luncheon is generally a multiple-course meal that features a specific painting, chosen to reflect
the inauguration’s official theme, displayed behind the dais.54 For President Joseph Biden’s 2021
inauguration, the luncheon would have featured the painting “Landscape with Rainbow” by
Robert S. Duncanson.55
Conclusion
Since 1901, when the first Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies was
authorized, both the House and Senate have played a prominent role in the organization and
execution of the inaugural ceremony. While prior to 1901, the Senate organized the inauguration
and invited Members of the House to participate, today the House and Senate both have a formal
role in celebrating the transition of power from one President to the next.
The House and Senate, through the Joint Inaugural Committee, organize and implement the
arrangements for the presidential and vice presidential inauguration. In recent years, the inaugural
ceremony has been held at the U.S. Capitol, with the swearing-in ceremony on the West Front
Steps and special events typically held in the Rotunda and Emancipation Hall of the Capitol
Visitor Center.

50 U.S. Congress, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Luncheon, http://inaugural.senate.gov/
luncheon/index.cfm.
51 Ibid.
52 Paul F. Boller Jr., Presidential Inauguration (New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2001), p. 172.
53 A search of the Joint Inaugural Committee webpage (https://inaugural.senate.gov) and other congressional sources
did not locate an official announcement about the cancellation of the Inaugural Luncheon. Press reports provide
statements by a Joint Inaugural Committee communications director that the luncheon was cancelled. For example, see
Chris Cioffi, “The Inaugural Luncheon is the Latest Pandemic Casualty,” Roll Call, December 29, 2020, at
https://www.rollcall.com/2020/12/29/the-inaugural-luncheon-is-the-latest-pandemic-casualty; and Marylou Tousignat,
“A President Inauguration for the History Books,” Washington Post, January 20, 2021, at
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/a-presidential-inauguration-for-the-history-books/2021/01/19/
7f0cc75c-5121-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html.
54 U.S. Congress, Senate, “Inaugural Luncheon,” at https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/common/collection_list/
inaugural_luncheons.htm.
55 Nora McGreevy, “Biden’s ‘Poignant’ Inaugural Painting,” Smithsonian Magazine, January 21, 2021, at
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-know-about-president-joe-bidens-inaugural-painting-landscape-
rainbow-180976803. See also, Twitter.com, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “The 59th
Inaugural Paining, ‘Landscape with Rainbow’ by Robert S. Duncanson, is revealed,” January 20, 2021, at
https://twitter.com/JCCIC/status/1351957019452911616.
Congressional Research Service

19

link to page 26 link to page 26 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Appendix. Joint Committee Membership on
Inauguration Day
Table A-1. Joint Inaugural Committee Membership on Inauguration Day
Senate
Senate
Year
Chair
Majority
Minority
House Majority
House Minority
President William McKinley (R)
1901
Marcus A. Hanna
John C. Spooner
James K. Jones
Joseph G. Cannon
Thomas C. McRae
(R-OH)
(R-WI)
(D-AR)
(R-IL)
(D-AR)
John Dalzell (R-
PA)
President Theodore Roosevelt (R)
1905
John C. Spooner (R-
Nelson W.
Augustus O.
John Dalzell (R-
John S. Wil iams
WI)
Aldrich (R-RI)
Bacon (D-GA)
PA)
(D-MS)
Edgar D.
Crumpacker (R-
IN)
President William Taft (R)
1909
Philander C. Knox
Henry Cabot
Augustus O.
James F. Burke (R-
John W. Gaines
(R-PA)
Lodge (R-MA)
Bacon (D-GA)
PA)
(D-TN)
Horace O. Young
(R-MI)
President Woodrow Wilson (D)
1913
W. Murray Crane
Augustus O.
———a
Wil iam W.
Wil iam B.
(R-MA)
Bacon (D-GA)
Rucker (D-MO)
McKinley (R-IL)
Lee S. Overman
Finis J. Garrett (D-
(D-NC)
TN)
1917
Lee S. Overman (D-
Hoke Smith (D-
Francis E.
Wil iam W.
Wil iam B.
NC)
GA)
Warren (R-WY)
Rucker (D-MO)
McKinley (R-IL)
Finis J. Garrett (D-
TN)
President Warren Harding (R)
1921
Philander C. Knox
Knute Nelson
Lee S. Overman
Joseph G. Cannon
Charles M.
(R-PA)
(R-MN)
(D-NC)
(R-IL)
Stedman (D-NC)b
Charles F. Reavis
(R-NE)
President Calvin Coolidge (R)
1925
Charles Curtis (R-
Frederick Hale
Lee S. Overman
Wil iam W. Griest
Arthur B. Rouse
KS)
(R-ME)
(D-NC)
(R-PA)
(D-KY)
Lindley H. Hadley
(R-WA)
Congressional Research Service

20

link to page 26 link to page 26 link to page 26 link to page 26 link to page 26 link to page 26 link to page 26 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Senate
Senate
Year
Chair
Majority
Minority
House Majority
House Minority
President Herbert Hoover (R)
1929
George H. Moses
Frederick Hale
Lee S. Overman
Bertrand H. Snell
Edward W. Pou
(R-NH)
(R-ME)
(D-NC)
(R-NY)
(D-NC)
Leonidas C. Dyer
(R-MO)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
1933
Joseph T. Robinson
George H.
———c
Edward W. Pou
Bertrand H. Snell
(D-AR)
Moses (R-NH)
(D-NC)
(R-NY)
Frederick Hale
Henry T. Rainey
(R-ME)
(D-IL)
1937
Matthew M. Neely
Joseph T.
Frederick Hale
John J. O’Connor
Bertrand H. Snell
(D-WV)
Robinson (D-AR) (R-ME)
(D-NY)
(R-NY)
Robert L.
Doughton (D-NC)
1941
Matthew M. Neely
Alben W.
Charles L.
Sam Rayburn (D-
Joseph W. Martin
(D-WV)
Barkley (D-KY)
McNary (R-OR)
TX)
(R-MA)
Robert L.
Doughton (D-NC)
1945
Harry F. Byrd (D-
Kenneth
Arthur
Sam Rayburn (D-
Joseph W. Martin
VA)
McKellar (D-TN) Vandenberg (R-
TX)
(R-MA)
MI)
Robert L.
Doughton (D-NC)
President Harry S. Truman (D)
1949
Carl T. Hayden (D-
J. Howard
Kenneth S.
Harry R. Sheppard Charles A. Halleck
AZ)d
McGrath (D-RI)e
Wherry (R-NE)
(D-CA)f
(R-IN)
John W.
McCormack (D-
MA)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
1953
Styles Bridges (R-
Herman Welker
Carl T. Hayden
Leslie C. Arends
Sam Rayburn (D-
NH)
(R-ID)g
(D-AZ)
(R-IL)
TX)
Joseph W. Martin
(R-MA)
1957
Styles Bridges (R-
John J. Sparkman
———h
Sam Rayburn (D-
Joseph W. Martin
NH)
(D-AL)
TX)
(R-MA)
Theodore F.
John W.
Green (D-RI)
McCormack (D-
MA)
President John F. Kennedy (D)
1961
John J. Sparkman
Carl T. Hayden
Styles Bridges
Sam Rayburn (D-
Charles A. Halleck
(D-AL)
(D-AZ)i
(R-NH)
TX)
(R-IN)
John W.
McCormack (D-
MA)
Congressional Research Service

21

link to page 26 link to page 27 link to page 27 link to page 27 link to page 27 link to page 27 Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Senate
Senate
Year
Chair
Majority
Minority
House Majority
House Minority
President Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
1965
B. Everett Jordan
John J. Sparkman
Leverett
John W.
Gerald R. Ford (R-
(D-NC)
(D-AL)
Saltonstall (R-
McCormack (D-
MI)
MA)
MA)
Carl B. Albert (D-
OK)
President Richard M. Nixon (R)
1969
Everett M. Dirksen
B. Everett Jordan
———a
John W.
Gerald R. Ford (R-
(R-IL)
(D-NC)
McCormack (D-
MI)
Michael J.
MA)
Mansfield (D-
Carl B. Albert (D-
MT)
OK)
1973
Howard W. Cannon Michael J.
Marlow W.
Carl B. Albert (D-
Gerald R. Ford (R-
(D-NV)k
Mansfield (D-
Cook (R-KY)l
OK)
MI)
MT)
Thomas P. O’Neil
(D-MA)m
President Jimmy Carter (D)
1977
Howard W. Cannon Robert C. Byrd
Mark Hatfield (R-
Thomas P. O’Neil
John J. Rhodes (R-
(D-NV)
(D-WV)
OR)
(D-MA)
AZ)
James C. Wright
(D-TX)
President Ronald Reagan (R)
1981
Mark Hatfield (R-
Howard H.
Robert C. Byrd
Thomas P. O’Neil
John J. Rhodes (R-
OR)
Baker (R-TN)
(D-WV)
(D-MA)
AZ)
Claiborne Pell
James C. Wright
Robert H. Michel
(D-RI)n
(D-TX)
(R-IL)o
1985
Charles McC.
Howard H.
Wendell H. Ford
Thomas P. O’Neil
Robert H. Michel
Mathias (R-MD)
Baker (R-TN)
(D-KY)
(D-MA)
(R-IL)
James C. Wright
(D-TX)
President George H. W. Bush (R)
1989
Wendell H. Ford
Robert C. Byrd
Ted Stevens (R-
James C. Wright
Robert H. Michel
(D-KY)
(D-WV)
AK)
(D-TX)
(R-IL)
Thomas S. Foley
(D-WA)
President Bill Clinton (D)
1993
Wendell H. Ford
George J.
Ted Stevens (R-
Thomas S. Foley
Robert H. Michel
(D-KY)
Mitchell (D-ME)
AK)
(D-WA)
(R-IL)
Richard A.
Gephardt (D-MO)
1997
John Warner (R-
Trent Lott (R-
Wendell H. Ford
Newt Gingrich (R-
Richard A.
VA)
MS)
(D-KY)
GA)
Gephardt (D-MO)
Richard K. Armey
(R-TX)
Congressional Research Service

22

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Senate
Senate
Year
Chair
Majority
Minority
House Majority
House Minority
President George W. Bush (R)
2001
Mitch McConnell
Trent Lott (R-
Christopher
J. Dennis Hastert
Richard A.
(R-KY)
MS)
Dodd (D-CT)
(R-IL)
Gephardt (D-MO)
Richard K. Armey
(R-TX)
2005
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Wil iam Frist (R-
Christopher
J. Dennis Hastert
Nancy Pelosi (D-
TN)
Dodd (D-CT)
(R-IL)
CA)
Tom DeLay (R-
TX)
President Barack Obama (D)
2009
Dianne Feinstein
Harry Reid (D-
Bob Bennett (R-
Nancy Pelosi (D-
John Boehner (R-
(D-CA)
NV)
UT)
CA)
OH)
Steny Hoyer (D-
MD)
2013
Charles Schumer
Harry Reid (D-
Lamar Alexander John Boehner (R-
Nancy Pelosi (D-
(D-NY)
NV)
(R-TN)
OH
CA)
Eric Cantor (R-
VA)
President Donald Trump (R)
2017
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Mitch McConnell
Charles Schumer Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Nancy Pelosi (D-
(R-KY)
(D-NY)
Kevin McCarthy
CA)
(R-CA)
President Joseph Biden (D)
2021
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Mitch McConnell
Amy Klobuchar
Nancy Pelosi (D-
Kevin McCarthy
(R-KY)
(D-MN)
CA)
(R-CA)
Steny Hoyer (D-
MD)
Source: U.S. Congress, Senate, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “Inaugural Committees,”
https://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-committees; and U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on Rules and
Administration, “Photos: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Kicks Off Planning for 59th
Presidential Inauguration,” press release, July 1, 2020, https://www.rules.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-
joint-congressional-committee-on-inaugural-ceremonies-kicks-off-planning-for-59th-presidential-inauguration.
Notes: All chairs of the Joint Inaugural Committee are Senators.
a. The minority party Senator of the committee also served as the chair.
b. Representative Charles M. Stedman replaced Representative Wil iam W. Rucker, who resigned from the
committee.
c. The minority party Senator of the committee also served as the chair.
d. Senator Carl T. Hayden replaced Senator Ablen W. Barkely, who was elected Vice President.
e. Senator J. Howard McGrath replaced Senator C. Wayland Brooks, who did not win reelection to the
Senate.
f.
Representative Harry R. Sheppard replaced Representative Leslie C. Arends, who was removed from the
committee when the Democrats won the House majority.
g. Senator Herman Welker replaced Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who resigned from the committee.
Senator Smith had earlier replaced Senator Ernest W. McFarland, who resigned from the committee.
h. The minority party Senator of the committee also served as the chair.
i.
Senator Carl T. Hayden replaced Senator Thomas Hennings, who died in office.
Congressional Research Service

23

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

j.
The minority party Senator of the committee also served as the chair.
k. Senator Howard W. Cannon replaced Senator B. Everett Jordan as chair after Senator Jordan was not
renominated for the Senate by the North Carolina Democratic Party.
l.
Senator Marlow W. Cook was designated cochair of the committee.
m. Representative Thomas P. O’Neil replaced Representative T. Hale Boggs, who was presumed to have been
kil ed in an airplane crash.
n. Senator Claiborne Pell stepped aside as chair on January 5, 1981, when the Republicans became the majority
party in the Senate. Senator Mark Hatfield became the chair, and Senator Pell remained on the committee
as a fourth Senator pursuant to S.Con.Res. 2 (97th Congress).
o. On November 12, 1980, the Speaker of the House appointed Representatives John J. Rhodes, Thomas P.
O’Neil , and James C. Wright to the Joint Inaugural Committee. When the House Members were
reappointed on January 6, 1981, the Speaker of the House, breaking with precedent, appointed four
Members (Representatives Rhodes, O’Neil , and Wright, plus Representative Robert H. Michel) to the Joint
Inaugural Committee. S.Con.Res. 2 (97th Congress), agreed to January 6, 1981. Pursuant to the resolution,
Senator Pell continued as a member of the joint inaugural committee. See also, Senator Mark Hatfield,
“Resolution to Provide for the Continuation of the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” Senate
debate, Congressional Record, vol. 127, part 1 (January 5, 1981), p. 10.

Author Information

Jacob R. Straus

Specialist on the Congress

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Congressional Research Service
R42603 · VERSION 11 · UPDATED
24