US presidential swearing in: Historic ceremony to see immense security

Members of the National Guard patrol the streets on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. Pic/AFP

Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, while Kamala Harris will take oath as the first woman Vice President on Wednesday, in the midst of growing concerns over the safety of the historic inauguration following the recent violent attack on the Capitol Hill by pro-Trump supporters.

Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Biden just after the clock strikes 12 (local time) at the West Front of the Capitol - the traditional location - under the unprecedented security umbrella of more than 25,000 National Guards, who have transformed the capital into a garrison city, mainly because of the threat of violent protest by Trump's supporters.

Biden, 78, will take the oath on his 127-year-old family Bible, which will be held by his wife, Jill Biden. Biden, who will be the oldest president in American history, will deliver his first presidential address to the country after taking oath. The historic speech, with the theme of unity and healing, is being prepared by his Indian-American speech writer Vinay Reddy.

Harris, 56, will make history as the first female, first Black and first South Asian American vice president when she will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Supreme Court. Sotomayor administered the oath to Biden as vice president in 2013.

‘Not the right time'

The incoming Biden Administration Monday opposed the move of outgoing President Donald Trump to lift travel restrictions on Europe and Brazil arguing that this is not the right time to do so in the midst of worsening of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden to propose citizenship path for immigrants

US President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration, hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 mn people living in the country without legal status, a massive reversal from the Trump administration's harsh immigration policies. The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver on a major campaign promise important to Latino voters and other immigrants after four years of President Donald Trump's restrictive policies and mass deportations.

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