Clyburn, Richmond among Biden inaugural committee leadership

President-elect Joe Biden announced the leadership of his inaugural committee Monday, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) as its chairman.

“The peaceful transfer of power surrounding the inauguration is a bedrock of American democracy that represents our nation’s highest ideals,” Clyburn said in a statement. “This inauguration will show the country and the world something I have always known: we know Joe, and Joe knows us.”

Clyburn’s endorsement of Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary is considered a pivotal moment for the former vice president’s campaign following losses in New Hampshire and Iowa.

The inaugural committee’s leadership also includes Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D), Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). Richmond, a confidant of Clyburn’s who served as a campaign co-chair for Biden, was recently announced as Biden’s White House Office of Public Engagement director.

“While this year’s inaugural events will look different, we are going to keep everybody safe and empower Americans all across the country to celebrate this historic moment,” Richmond said in a statement.

“This inauguration will exemplify the strength and resilience our country has demonstrated throughout this entire year and set the stage for how the Biden-Harris Administration will beat the pandemic, create jobs that fuel economic recovery, and unite all Americans,” Whitmer said in a statement. “While we are going to focus on keeping people safe this year, we will make sure Americans have the opportunity to celebrate this pivotal moment for our country.”

Biden said last week that the Jan. 20 inauguration would likely be scaled down due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and resemble the 2020 virtual Democratic National Convention.

“It is highly unlikely there’ll be a million people on the Mall going all the way down to the Memorial,” he said at a Wilmington, Del., news conference. “I think you’re going to see something that’s closer to what the convention was like than the typical inauguration.”