Washington, D.C. is already abuzz with activity surrounding President Obama’s second inauguration. While the president has drastically cut back on the number of official balls this year, the district will play host to dozens and dozens of unofficial parties. All that partying comes with a hefty price tag.
The total expense of the festivities this year remains unclear, and the official Presidential Inaugural Committee hasn’t released many financial details, but the costs of the actual swearing-in ceremony are certain to be paltry compared to the amount spent on everything else. Whether you’ll actually be donning a black tie or ball gown or just settling down to watch the ceremonies on the nearest screen, here are some of the numbers you’ll need to know.
4
Times that President Obama will have been sworn in to office for his two terms. The president retook his oath of office in 2009 after he initially repeated the rearranged wording of Chief Justice John Roberts. This year, the president will officially take the oath in a small, private ceremony at noon on January 20, as mandated by the Constitution. Because that date falls on Sunday, the public swearing in will be the next day.
600,000 to 800,000
Number of people expected to attend the public inauguration on the National Mall January 21
1.8 million
Number of people who attended Obama’s first inauguration, a record
38 degrees
Expected high temperature for the day in Fahrenheit, according to Weather.com
2
Number of official inaugural balls being held this year, the fewest in 60 years, according to the Associated Press
At least 105
Unofficial privately sponsored parties being thrown in D.C. to celebrate Obama’s second inauguration
$60
Cost of a public ticket to the Inaugural Ball, one of the two official balls. Tickets for the other, the Commander-In-Chief’s Ball, are free for invited members of the military
$1,649
Price of a public ticket to the Inaugural Ball available from independent ticket broker site GreatSeats.com
10
Number of balls Obama attended in 2009
14
Number of balls for Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997, a record
$4
Cost of a ticket to the first official inaugural ball, hosted by James Madison’s wife Dolley in 1809. Adjusting for inflation, that’s roughly $57 today.
$4.2 million
Budget for the Architect of the Capitol to construct the inaugural platform, set up bleachers and barricades and spruce up the Capitol grounds for the swearing-in ceremony on the west front of the Capitol
Nearly $2 million
Approved budget for the U.S. Capitol Police for the inauguration
$1.237 million
Budget of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the day's activities on the Capitol grounds, including the traditional Congressional luncheon for the president and vice president. Taxpayers pay for the official swearing-in ceremony, the lunch and extra security. Other events are privately funded
$170 million
Total cost of Obama’s 2009 inauguration, according to ABC News
$53.2 million
Amount of private funds raised by the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Obama’s 2009 inauguration celebrations, according to the Associated Press
$50 million
The Committee’s reported fundraising goal for 2013
$50,000
Cap on private donations in 2009, when the Presidential Inaugural Committee did not accept money from corporations. The self-imposed restriction on corporate money was eliminated this year
3,179
Donors to the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee based on the list posted on the committee’s site as of Saturday afternoon. The list includes everyone who has donated at least $200
$1,000,000
Cost to institutions of a VIP “Washington Premium Partner Access” package being offered by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The package, which includes tickets to a variety of events throughout the weekend and 4 tickets to the Inaugural Ball, costs $250,000 for individual donors
98 percent
Hotel occupancy in D.C. for the night before the 2009 inauguration, according to data from industry research group Smith Travel Research cited by the AP. Visitors paid an average daily rate of more than $600 that night
More than $44 million
Amount the District of Columbia was reimbursed for inauguration-related costs in 2009, according to ABC News $342,000
Reported cost of D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray’s viewing stand for the Inaugural Parade
$9.8 million
Amount directly appropriated by Congress to the District of Columbia for “emergency planning and security costs ... associated with the Presidential Inauguration,” according to a recent report from the Congressional Research Service 100
Food and merchandise vendors specially licensed for the inauguration by the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, according to a spokesman
$100
Price of a limited-edition poster featuring a portrait of President Obama created by artist Chuck Close being sold at the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s online store
$15
Price of a pair of “Obama 44” commemorative tube socks being sold at the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s online store
3
Presidents who requested no balls be thrown for their inauguration: Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Pierce and Warren Harding
Brianna Ehley contributed to this article.
