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喬-拜登在一個寒冷而明亮的周三下午，在美國首都宣誓就任第46任美國總統。拜登在首次演講中承諾，將保衛國家，與美國人面臨的多重危機作鬥爭。他說：」我們將共同書寫一個希望而非恐懼、團結而非分裂、光明而非黑暗的美國故事」。就職典禮日在美國向來是一個重要的時刻，但今年國內的緊張局勢和新政府面臨的挑戰，讓這一天成為前所未有的焦點。權力交接並不和平。國家首都的中心地帶已經呈現出衝突區的樣子，數千名國民警衛隊駐紮在城市周圍，一系列路障和柵欄包圍了拜登將宣誓就職的國會大廈。拜登仍然致力於在他上任的頭100天內將1億支疫苗送入美國人的懷抱的目標，本月，初次申請失業救濟金人數自7月以來首次超過100萬，全國薪資水平自去年春季以來首次出現淨下降。隨著經濟復甦放緩，11月有超過900萬美國人報告說，他們拖欠房租。拜登作為總統的第一項舉措，發布了一項行政命令，將房租的暫停令延長至3月31日。雖然這一政策舉措不會萬事大吉，暫停令並不會免除租金，反而會將負擔推向下一個階段，但它給了政府和租房者一些時間來想辦法解決下一步問題。
Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on a cold, bright Wednesday afternoon in the nation’s capital. In his first speech, Biden pledged to defend the nation and fight the multiple crises facing Americans. 「Together, we shall write an American story of hope not fear, of unity not division, of light, not darkness,」 he said.
Inauguration Day is always a momentous occasion in the United States, but this year the tension in the country and the challenges facing the new administration put an unprecedented spotlight on the day. The transition of power was not peaceful: Donald Trump incited a riot of his supporters on Jan. 6 that disrupted the counting of Electoral College votes in the Capitol and left five people dead. The heart of the nation’s capital has taken on the appearance of a conflict zone, with thousands of National Guard troops stationed around the city and a series of barricades and fences encircling the Capitol Building where Biden will be sworn in.
A Senate impeachment trial over Trump’s incitement of the riot will now loom over the early days of Biden’s presidency. Trump left town early before Biden’s swearing in, breaking with more than 100 years of precedent of outgoing presidents attending the event. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage throughout the country. More than 400,000 Americans have died since the beginning of the pandemic, and Biden now needs to manage the complicated rollout of life-saving vaccines.
A little before 4 p.m., President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walked with their family onto the White House grounds. A buoyant Biden greeted a few people along the way. After a final wave to the parade route and a short break for photos, the Bidens hugged each other and walked into their new home.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff spent some of the final moments of Inauguration Day standing near the 「I Have a Dream」 inscription on the Lincoln Memorial steps, watching as fireworks went off over Washington. Harris and Emhoff stood surrounded by a group that included family as Katy Perry performed 「Firework.」
They also danced to 「Lovely Day」 while holding hands, shortly after Harris gave her first formal speech as Vice President outside of presiding over the Senate.
In her speech, Harris urged Americans to remain strong in the face of adversity: 「We are undaunted in our belief that we shall overcome, that we will rise up,」 she said.
Tom Hanks was the host of the virtual Inauguration Day celebration, which was broadcast nationwide. In addition to Perry, the show featured performances by John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, chef José Andrés, Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria were also among the big names who made appearances.
The show ended with a fireworks display, which President Biden, First Lady Jill and their family watched from the balcony in the White House.
COVID-19, security threats and an uncooperative outgoing President made for an inauguration unlike the usual affairs, but in the end, the same message was clear: Washington, and America, are starting a new chapter under a new administration.
New White House press secretary Jen Psaki held her first briefing at just after 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening. In the roughly 30 minute briefing, she touched on both policy aims and broader goals for the Biden Administration and its press office. Psaki said she and Biden have talked about bringing 「truth and transparency back to the briefing room」 and said that 「rebuilding trust with the American people will be central to our focus in the press office.」
Psaki, who was a spokesperson for the State Department under President Barack Obama, plans to hold daily press briefings Monday through Friday, a stark departure from the Trump Administration, which had largely moved away from holding regular press briefings by the end of his term.
She began by highlighting the more than a dozen executive actions Biden signed on his first day as president, which related to the coronavirus crisis, the environment and racial equity.
Psaki shared that Biden’s first foreign leader call will be with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and said she expects his other early calls will be with 「partners and allies.」 On foreign policy, Psaki said Biden’s 「priority is first rebuilding our partnerships and alliances around the world and regaining America’s seat at the global table.」
Looking towards the Hill, Psaki said Biden would leave 「the mechanics, the timing and the specifics」 of Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial to Congress, and that he has already spoken to Democrats and Republicans in Congress about a relief bill.
Psaki said Biden’s main focus as he begins his term is getting the coronavirus pandemic under control. She said he remains committed to a goal of getting 100 million vaccines in the arms of Americans in his first 100 days in office, and that the administration wants to fight public health misinformation. 「There are a number of ways to combat misinformation,」 she said. 「One of them is accurate information and truth and data and sharing information, even when it is hard to hear.」
This month, initial claims for unemployment benefits exceeded one million for the first time since July, and the country experienced its first net decline in payrolls since last spring. As the economic recovery slowed, more than nine million Americans reported in November that they were behind on their rent payments. Their last safeguard against being evicted from their homes in the middle of a worsening pandemic? An eviction moratorium that was set to expire at the end of January.
In one of his first moves as President, Biden issued an executive order to extend that moratorium through March 31. While the policy move won’t everything—the moratorium does not expunge rent, and instead punts the burden down the road—it gives both the government and renters some time to figure out next steps.
The fast-approaching expiration date was estimated to put as many as 40 million renters at risk of losing the roofs over their heads, according to a report co-authored by leading housing experts, academics and nonprofits. Congress had approved a one-month extension of the protection in December.
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