Obama sworn in for second term at public ceremony
Posted January 21, 2013 10:11 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON (NEWS1130) – President Barack Obama has promising to uphold the Constitution at a public swearing in ceremony that signals the beginning of his second term in office.
Placing his hand on two Bibles — one used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first Inauguration and one used by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — Obama took a public oath of office today, after he was sworn in during a private ceremony yesterday.
“Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy,” said Obama.
Obama says the words of the Declaration of Independence — the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — still ring true today. “Today, we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.”
Vice-President Joe Biden has also taken his ceremonial oath, placing his hand on a family Bible that’s been in use since 1893.
The Constitution requires presidential and vice-presidential terms to begin on Jan. 20th.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered Obama’s private swearing in yesterday and the public ceremony today. He also swore Obama in during his first inauguration in 2009.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered Biden’s public and private oaths.
