Interesting little PANIC article.
On Inauguration Day, prioritize protecting the continuity of government
Inaugurations present other unique continuity of government risks. First, the event is almost always held outdoors. Second, the president, vice president, president-elect, vice president-elect, House speaker, and president pro tempore of the Senate all typically attend. They are the top four officials in the line of succession, prior to noon on January 20th or from that point forward. Next, most Cabinet secretaries’ terms of office end at noon that day (typically via resignation) which means that most of the Cabinet departments are headed by acting officials—often lower ranking appointees or in some cases civil servants. That means in the event of the death of the president, vice president, speaker, and president pro tempore, a fairly anonymous individual could ascend to the presidency. For example, in 2009 in the day prior to Hillary Clinton’s confirmation as Secretary of State, and in 2017 in the 12 days prior to Rex Tillerson’s confirmation, the next person in line (in each case) was the acting secretary of state, who was the undersecretary for political affairs.
How to protect the continuity of government in 2021
This year we know the president will not attend his successor’s inauguration, although Vice President Pence has indicated that he will go. And while the National Special Security Event designation will make the inauguration one of the most secure spaces on the planet, additional precautions should be taken.
The challenge for the new administration is balancing the worry about looking intimidated by racist rioters and being serious about protecting the continuity of government. Some have suggested Mr. Biden be inaugurated elsewhere, an idea tossed aside because of the optics of a fearful commander-in-chief.
A better option is to have Mr. Biden inaugurated as usual, and for Ms. Harris to be inaugurated elsewhere, at an undisclosed location, before witnesses, TV cameras, and journalists—a ceremony that could be livestreamed to the in-person event at the Capitol. At the same time the congressional members in the line of succession, at a minimum, should not be present in case of a deadly attack. In the same way that State of the Union Addresses have designated survivors—typically a Cabinet member prepared to assume the presidency—the House speaker and the Senate president pro tempore should be in secure locations, with witnesses, TV cameras, journalists, and a federal judge prepared to administer the oath.
The narrow division in the U.S. Senate would also mean that both Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the current president pro tempore of the Senate, and Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), the incoming president pro tempore, should be in secure locations—separate from each other and separate from Speaker Pelosi. After Ms. Harris becomes Vice President, Mr. Leahy will serve in that role. Prior to her assumption of the vice presidency, Mr. Grassley will serve in that role.
Full article here
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/01/11/on-inauguration-day-prioritize-protecting-the-continuity-of-government/