House Speaker to Swear In Cheney

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Dennis Hastert (search), R-Ill., will swear in Vice President Dick Cheney (search) at the inauguration Jan. 20, an unusual but not unprecedented choice.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (search), announced details of the event Wednesday, including the musical performers at the Capitol and who will administer the oath.

William H. Rehnquist (search), chief justice of the United States, will swear in President Bush and Hastert will do the same for Cheney. Rehnquist had sworn in Cheney four years ago.

House speakers have sworn in vice presidents on three occasions, according to the Senate Historian's Office. The last time was in 1977 when Speaker Tip O'Neill, D-Mass., swore in Vice President Walter Mondale.

In 1961, Speaker Sam Rayburn, D-Texas, gave the oath of office to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and in 1965, Speaker John McCormack, D-Mass., swore in Vice President Humbert Humphrey.

There had been some question as to whether Rehnquist, who is being treated for thyroid cancer, would administer the oath to Bush, but last month, officials at the Supreme Court said he would fulfill that duty.

The inaugural ceremony will include performances by the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, the U.S. Marine Band and mezzo soprano Denyce Graves.

Guy Hovis, a vocalist from Tupelo, Miss., who performed on the Lawrence Welk show, will sing, "Let the Eagles Soar," a song written by Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Thomas Basile, a spokesman for the committee, said the song is a favorite of Lott's. When Ashcroft served as senator from Missouri, he and Lott were members of the singing senators' quartet. The group also included Sens. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Jim Jeffords, I-Vt.