Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota National Guard Troops Play Key Role In Inauguration Planning
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris is less than 24 hours away.
Minnesotans are playing a key role in the ceremony and keeping everyone safe. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is one of two senators in charge of planning the inauguration, and 850 Minnesota National Guard troops are on duty right now in the nation's capitol.
As the ranking Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, Klobuchar is one of two senators along with Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri in charge of organizing the inauguration. She says the Secret Service is in charge of security.
"We are allowing the Secret Service to make the decisions about security right now. Everything is on schedule," she said.
Klobuchar will speak briefly at the ceremony and will also introduce Supreme Court Justices and the newly inaugurated president. The ceremony will take place exactly two weeks after and in one of the very spots stormed by rioters.
"You will still see some of the spray paint at the bottom of the base of the columns windows have mostly been fix up there. Jan. 6 put a focus on security, but it put a focus on something else: we cant take our Democracy for granted," said the senator.
With the added threat of COVID, the ceremony will take place in front of a sea of 200,000 American flags and be guarded by 25,000 national guard troops; 850 are from Minnesota, and they all volunteered to be there. Chief Master Sergeant Mark Legvold of the Minnesota National Guard said,
"It's humbling and a big honor to be a part of such a massive effort to support the peaceful transfer of power," he said.
Members of Congress from both parties will attend, including Republican Congressmen Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber and Democrats Dean Phillips, Angie Craig and Ilhan Omar.
"It's an exciting day," said Omar. "It's an opportunity for us to be hopeful after years of really living through a dark moment in our nations history."
President Trump will not be attending the inauguration - making him the first president in 152 years not to attend his successor's swearing in.
Vice President Mike Pence will attend.