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'Beginning of a new day': Rep. Cuellar reflects on President Biden's inauguration

The south Texas representative was one of only 1,000 attendees at Wednesday's ceremony.

SAN ANTONIO — South Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar was selected to witness the origins of the Biden administration in person with his daughter, and the San Antonio-area representative noted how the U.S. Capitol has borne witness to riot, impeachment and inauguration over three successive January Wednesdays. 

"We saw the transformation from violence, to punishment, to a new beginning," the congressman said. 

The Democratic legislator and his daughter, Christie, were able to witness that new beginning.

"I got to be on a platform so I could see everything up close," he said. 

They were among only a thousand people who physically attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. 

"Very, very, very different environment," Cuellar said. "But still, inside the heart we knew this was the beginning of a new day."

This was Cuellar's fifth inauguration since being elected to the House of Representatives in 2004. However, inauguration in 2021 was unlike any other.

"You had all this law enforcement, because there was not only the threat of the pandemic, but the threat of what we saw two weeks ago," Cuellar said.

25,000 National Guard troops were on hand with gear to protect against potential coronavirus spread and potential violence. The congressman talked about his security concerns. 

"I was looking at the buildings at the platform; you never know someone could be in one of those windows, even though I know they were checked," he said. "Yes, it was in the back of my mind. But thank God everything worked out well."

    

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