	Introduction

At noon on January 20 of each year following a presidential election, the President-elect is sworn in as President of the United States. Due to safety and security concerns for the public and the American political leadership, the inauguration ceremony is designated a National Security Special Event (NSSE). NSSEs are high profile, and usually public, events that require significant security because of the attendance of U.S. and foreign dignitaries and the event's public or official nature. Instead, inauguration security funding is expected to be provided from the USSS general NSSE account. In limited circumstances, Congress has provided supplemental appropriations to "reimburse" local jurisdictions for inauguration related activities. Criticism of past inauguration security operations and practices has generated congressional concern. For example, during the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, some ticket holders were unable to reach their designated seating areas, while others were stuck in a tunnel leading to the National Mall. This report provides information on inauguration security operations and inauguration security appropriations, and discusses potential policy issues associated with inauguration security operations. It also identifies some policy issues associated with inauguration security operations, including some past inauguration security operations criticisms and inauguration security operation appropriations. Options are provided for congressional consideration for future inauguration and inauguration security planning. Congress may wish to consider past criticisms of both inauguration security operations and appropriations. Background

Presidential inauguration ceremonies are unique public events in the District of Columbia (DC). Consequently, the inauguration is designated as an NSSE by DHS. In recent years, however, Congress has appropriated additional funds to reimburse some local governments and federal agencies for inauguration related expenses and has provided appropriations to the USSS for "unanticipated costs related to security operations for National Special Security Events," which could be used for inauguration related activities. Limited, and identified, appropriations for NSSE and the absence of specific inauguration security operations appropriations limits the ability to conduct substantive policy analysis on the costs associated with inaugurations generally, and inauguration security operations specifically. Issues for Congressional Consideration

Congressional interest in inauguration security may be based on various factors and determinates including its roles in appropriating funds for inaugurations, oversight of law enforcement and first responder entities with inauguration security responsibilities, and hosting the swearing-in ceremony, and the heightened interest in post-9/11 security operations. Inauguration Security Operations

In the past, there has been criticism of inauguration security operations.
Every four years, on January 20, the President-elect is sworn in as President of the United States. Presidential inauguration ceremonies are unique public events in the District of Columbia. The inauguration ceremonies are public and, like the President's State of the Union address, they are events in which a significant proportion of the American political leadership is in attendance. Consequently, the inauguration is designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE) by the Department of Homeland Security. NSSEs are events that require significant security, in part because of the attendance of U.S. and foreign dignitaries and the event's public or official nature.
Funding for inauguration security operations is provided from the U.S. Secret Service's National Special Security Event general account, though information on the amount provided is not publicly available. In limited circumstances, however, Congress has also provided supplemental appropriations to reimburse local jurisdictions for inauguration-related activities. Other inauguration spending is less easily identifiable because it is indirect and a part of typical annual appropriations to the relevant agencies. Because of the absence of specificity, substantive policy analysis on costs associated with inauguration security may be limited.
In addition to Congress's responsibility for funding inauguration security operations, Congress also conducts oversight of the security operations. Criticisms of past inauguration security operations and practices generated congressional concern. An example of this criticism includes reports that some 2009 presidential inauguration ticket holders were unable to reach their designated seating areas due to security checkpoint contestation. Congressional, interest group, and media criticism appears to be specifically focused on 2009 inauguration security operations instead of general observations or criticism. There appears to have been no criticism of the 2013 inauguration's security.
This report provides information on inauguration security operations and inauguration security appropriations, and it discusses potential policy issues associated with inauguration security operations. It also identifies some policy issues associated with inauguration security operations, including some past inauguration security operations criticisms and inauguration security operation appropriations. Options are provided for congressional consideration for future inauguration and inauguration security planning.
Congressional interest in inauguration security may be based on various factors and determinates, including its roles in appropriating funds for inaugurations, oversight of law enforcement and first responder entities with inauguration security responsibilities, and hosting the swearing-in ceremony, as well as the heightened interest in post-9/11 security operations. Congress may wish to consider past criticisms of both inauguration security operations and appropriations.