'Lawmakers Express Concern Over Insufficient Space for Indoor Inauguration'
The Capitol Rotunda may not have enough space to fit all members during the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
TroibNews 
The decision to move President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration indoors at the last minute may leave some members of Congress feeling sidelined.
While it’s unlikely anyone will be outside in the frigid 25-degree temperatures, concerns have emerged regarding whether there will be enough seating in the Rotunda for all lawmakers during the oath-of-office ceremony. This has created unease among congressional offices, as reported by four lawmakers and their aides.
“Simply put, there’s not enough room,” one senior Republican aide remarked. “It’s a shitshow.”
The initial direction from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies after Trump’s team opted for an indoor setting was that "those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person." However, rumors have circulated that some lawmakers might be relocated to different areas in the Capitol. One GOP member noted that “no one knows” what the situation will be, while another expressed worries over the lack of available chairs for all members. At least 20 Democrats had already planned to skip the ceremony prior to the venue change.
A spokesperson for a member of the inaugural committee dismissed a circulating rumor about only 99 members having seats but did not provide additional details on the arrangements for Monday.
This will mark the first indoor swearing-in since 1985, prompting a last-minute effort to accommodate hundreds of dignitaries—including not just members of Congress, but also former presidents and first ladies, Supreme Court justices, and media—into the approximately 7,200 square feet of the Rotunda.
Images from the 1985 inauguration depict a standing-room-only crowd, though it remains unclear how many in attendance were lawmakers. One anonymous Republican shared that they had been informed members would be seated in the Rotunda, while their spouses might be located in Statuary Hall or the Capitol Visitor Center. Another representative mentioned they believed they still had two tickets as of Sunday.
The disorganization that lawmakers are experiencing pales in comparison to the confusion felt by the general public in the past two days. Tens of thousands were expected to gather on the National Mall for the swearing-in, with congressional offices distributing color-coded tickets that became effectively meaningless once Trump announced the event would be moved indoors.
“So much effort by so many people just for a, ‘Hey, it’s a first-come, first-serve free-for-all,’” lamented the senior GOP aide.
Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
While it’s unlikely anyone will be outside in the frigid 25-degree temperatures, concerns have emerged regarding whether there will be enough seating in the Rotunda for all lawmakers during the oath-of-office ceremony. This has created unease among congressional offices, as reported by four lawmakers and their aides.
“Simply put, there’s not enough room,” one senior Republican aide remarked. “It’s a shitshow.”
The initial direction from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies after Trump’s team opted for an indoor setting was that "those with tickets for the Presidential Platform and members of Congress will be able to attend in person." However, rumors have circulated that some lawmakers might be relocated to different areas in the Capitol. One GOP member noted that “no one knows” what the situation will be, while another expressed worries over the lack of available chairs for all members. At least 20 Democrats had already planned to skip the ceremony prior to the venue change.
A spokesperson for a member of the inaugural committee dismissed a circulating rumor about only 99 members having seats but did not provide additional details on the arrangements for Monday.
This will mark the first indoor swearing-in since 1985, prompting a last-minute effort to accommodate hundreds of dignitaries—including not just members of Congress, but also former presidents and first ladies, Supreme Court justices, and media—into the approximately 7,200 square feet of the Rotunda.
Images from the 1985 inauguration depict a standing-room-only crowd, though it remains unclear how many in attendance were lawmakers. One anonymous Republican shared that they had been informed members would be seated in the Rotunda, while their spouses might be located in Statuary Hall or the Capitol Visitor Center. Another representative mentioned they believed they still had two tickets as of Sunday.
The disorganization that lawmakers are experiencing pales in comparison to the confusion felt by the general public in the past two days. Tens of thousands were expected to gather on the National Mall for the swearing-in, with congressional offices distributing color-coded tickets that became effectively meaningless once Trump announced the event would be moved indoors.
“So much effort by so many people just for a, ‘Hey, it’s a first-come, first-serve free-for-all,’” lamented the senior GOP aide.
Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
