Senator Benjamin L. Cardin - U.S. Senator for Maryland
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Presidential Inauguration 2009
Inauguration Day
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Senator Cardin talks about the Inaugural Day activities on January 20th and how to participate in them.

NOTE: My office has been overwhelmed with on-line requests for inauguration tickets - over 60,000 people filled out request forms on my web site. As I have a very limited number of tickets and just a few weeks to distribute them, I have had to stop taking requests. Remember, you do not need tickets to attend the Inauguration on January 20th.

Thank you for your interest in the welcoming the Obama Administration. For more information: change.gov.

Plans are underway for the Inauguration of U.S. Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States at noon on January 20, 2009.

Weather permitting, the ceremony will be held outdoors on the west side of the U.S. Capitol. In January, Members of Congress will receive a very limited number of tickets for the U.S. Capitol Grounds and a portion of the National Mall. The remainder of the Mall will be open to the public to attend without tickets and large screen televisions will be on the Mall so that as many people as possible can hear and see this historic event.

My office has already received requests that far exceed any allotment we may receive. If you have submitted a request, a representative will be in touch with you in mid-January regarding ticket availability and information about the Inauguration. Due to the high demand, please understand that submitting a request does not guarantee ticket availability.

In case of inclement weather, the Inauguration ceremony will be held inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda where only immediate family, the media, members of Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court will be able to attend.

The website of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies provides additional information, www.inaugural.senate.gov.

While the Inauguration ceremony is under the auspices of the Congress, Inaugural balls, galas and the Inaugural Day parade are the responsibility of the President-Elect. The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) will soon be providing information about how to participate in these events at http://www.change.gov/learn/inauguration/.