Vice-President Joe Biden has taken the oath of office for his second term.
The oath was administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor shortly after 8am. The brief ceremony was preceded by a prayer from the Reverend Kevin O’Brien of Georgetown University.
President Barack Obama will be sworn in at midday.
The Constitution mandates that the President and Vice-President be sworn on January 20. Because that date is a Sunday this year, the official ceremonies will be held tomorrow when Obama and Biden will take the oath again.
Obama also took the oath twice in 2009, following a verbal mangling of the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts.