| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus and Mia McCarthy | | Presented by |  | | | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Workers build a stage in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, on Jan. 17, 2025, ahead the 60th Presidential Inauguration which was moved indoors because of cold temperatures expected on Jan 20. | Morry Gash.AP | INAUGURATION: HIGHLY EXCLUSIVE EDITION Donald Trump won’t be crowing about crowd size at his second inauguration. Barely more than 2,000 people will pack into the Capitol Rotunda for a cold-weather inaugural ceremony backup plan not seen since Ronald Reagan. The call to move the swearing in and inaugural address indoors was made by the Trump team, but the pivot will have to be executed by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and hundreds of workers across Capitol Hill — who have less than 72 hours to pull off a huge pivot. The have nots: Just a tiny fraction of committed Trump supporters who traveled to Washington will get to see the ceremonies in person. The rotunda crowd will mostly be comprised of lawmakers, other high-ranking officials and Trump’s family. In addition to disappointed ticket holders, a shout out to Republican staffers on Capitol Hill, who watched weeks of work on securing tickets for constituents collapse, with basically no members of the general public able to attend. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) told constituents in Washington for the festivities to “stay tuned” to email and social media about viewing opportunities. “The vast majority of ticketed guests will not be able to attend the ceremonies in person,” according to a statement from the JCCIC. “While we know this is difficult for many attendees, we strongly suggest people who are in Washington for the event attend other indoor events at indoor venues of their choice to watch the inauguration.” A memo from the House Sergeant at Arms sent to House offices Friday told offices to “relay to constituents that their tickets will be commemorative,” with few exceptions. All lawmakers are expected to be able to attend, though we know some Democrats were already planning not to go. Speaker Mike Johnson sent a memo saying that “updated guidance for members and spouses is forthcoming.” The irony: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) — who Trump nicknamed “snow woman” after she famously launched her presidential campaign in a snowstorm — is the chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and will be tasked with overseeing the move to an indoor inauguration ceremony. “We respect the decision of the president-elect and his team,” Klobuchar told us on Friday. In the wake of Trump’s announcement, there was a flurry of activity in the rotunda on Friday. Architect of the Capitol workers assembled a stage platform and other preparations were clearly underway to move an outdoor event that workers started preparing for on Sept. 18 to an indoor setting in three days.
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Workers build a stage in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, for the 60th Presidential Inauguration which was moved indoors because of cold temperatures expected on Jan 20. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) | AP | But there is precedent: Almost 40 years ago, during former President Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985, a severe cold snap on the East Coast moved the event inside. The inaugural parade was also canceled and Reagan was sworn in from an absolutely packed rotunda. The last inauguration to be moved indoors before Reagan was 76 years earlier than that: William Taft in 1909, when a blizzard hit Washington the night before. Then there’s the cautionary tale of William Henry Harrison, who is believed to have caught a cold during his chilly inauguration, where he gave a lengthy speech wearing no hat, gloves or coat. That led to pneumonia that was believed to have killed him a few weeks later. (Though, it was actually probably Washington’s lack of a sewer system at the time…) The security posture on Capitol Hill will remain extremely heightened with miles of fencing and hundreds of law enforcement officers on hand. The two assassination attempts on Trump on the campaign trail last year loomed large as security preparations for the inauguration came together. But an indoor ceremony away from thousands of onlookers presents a significantly reduced threat to Trump — with a tightly controlled guest list. — Katherine Tully-McManus and Mia McCarthy, with help from Meredith Lee Hill
| | | | A message from Americans for Prosperity: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is not just tax reform—it's an investment in American families and businesses. Congress must ensure this foundation for growth continues to deliver for years to come. Learn more. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday Jan. 17, where we’re putting away the wool base layers and hand warmers we had at the ready for Monday. NOMINEE HEARING SCHEDULE As Trump officially takes office next week, there’s another slate of confirmation hearings on the Senate’s docket. Senators could add more, but here’s what’s on the schedule for now: Tuesday
- 9 a.m.: Doug Collins for Veterans Affairs secretary
- 10 a.m.: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for UN Ambassador
Wednesday
- 10 a.m.: Russ Vought’s second hearing for OMB director
Thursday
- 9:30 a.m.: Daniel P. Driscoll for secretary of the Army.
- 10 a.m.: Brooke Rollins for Agriculture secretary
There’s also a few committee confirmation votes on the calendar for next week: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of State on Monday, former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) for Transportation secretary on Wednesday, and Collins on Thursday.
Nominees who are already slated for committee votes have higher odds for swift confirmation than others like former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who still doesn’t have a hearing date set for her incoming nomination as director of national intelligence. Rubio seems likely to be the only nominee confirmed on Inauguration Day. — Mia McCarthy TIKTOK AND TRUMP Republican senators were glad to see the Supreme Court uphold a law that could ban TikTok on Monday. But they’re still not sure how Trump is going to handle it. Starting Sunday, if parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell TikTok, app stores and cloud providers who continue to host the video-sharing app could face billions of dollars in fines. Trump has called for delaying the ban, a significant split with congressional Republicans, something he would have the power to do as president (President Joe Biden has said he won’t enforce the ban for his remaining days in office). The president-elect wrote on Truth Social that his decision “will be made in the not too distant future.” “He'll make that decision, but I believe the objective should be simple and straightforward,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), when asked what Trump should do. “The Chinese government should end its ownership and control of terror.” But Republicans made clear they wanted China to adhere to the law immediately. “They’ve known the law. They know what the law is. This will enforce our laws,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said. “They need to comply with the law." — Mia McCarthy
| | | | A message from Americans for Prosperity:  
| | | | | Should we start collecting Congress trading cards? Always read the comments guys… QUICK LINKS DHS Secretary nominee testifies in low-drama hearing, from Daniella Diaz DeWine passes over Ramaswamy, will select Jon Husted for Senate, from Adam Wren and Sophia Cai ‘Ignorant and Arrogant’: Republicans Worry the House Budget Chair Could Doom Reconciliation, from Reese Gorman at NOTUS The Ohio AG says he ran a ‘scam’ East Palestine charity. A congressman just hired him, from Jake Zuckerman at cleveland.com Hill progressives withdraw letter calling for a 32-hour work week from Nicholas Wu TRANSITIONS The Progressive Policy Institute has added Jolie LiBert as political director and Kriti Korula as a congressional fellow, to be placed in the office of the New Democrat Coalition. LiBert most recently was trips director for the Midwest on the Harris campaign, and is a Derek Kilmer alum. Send us your transitions at insidecongress@politico.com
| | | | A message from Americans for Prosperity: The TCJA represents a cornerstone of pro-growth policy, saving families $1,500 annually and giving small businesses the tools to thrive. With its expiration looming, Congress has a choice: safeguard prosperity or risk higher taxes and slowed economic progress.
Renewing the TCJA is an investment in America's future—a way to keep families strong, businesses competitive, and opportunities abundant. Congress, let's protect prosperity together. Learn more. | | | MONDAY IN CONGRESS The House holds a pro forma session at 10 a.m. The Senate will convene at 4:30 p.m. MONDAY AROUND THE HILL All things inauguration!
| | THURSDAY’S ANSWER: Jan Schoonmaker correctly answered that Sen. Edward Baker of Oregon was the only U.S. Senator to die in battle while he was in office, and died at the Civil War Battle of Ball’s Bluff in Virginia. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Jan: On February 21, 1848, President John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke while seated in the old House chamber, now Statuary Hall. He was carried into what office, where he died? In 1958 it was adapted for a new purpose and in 1991 it was renamed in honor of which former Member? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
