Today, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th United States President to take the oath of office. The gala ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m., Washington D.C. time (18:30 Yerevan time). The President-elect will be accompanied to the Capitol by out-going President George Bush. An estimated crowd of 240,00 spectators will be on hand to witness the historic event. Twenty enormous TV screens will be strategically placed for onlookers to follow the swearing in ceremony from afar. Obama's official website states, "We have planned to make this inauguration the most open and accessible in United States history." In order to ensure public safety, 10,000 National Guard troops will be on hand, in addition to 8,000 local police. The Obama inauguration augers to be the most expensive in U.S. history at a whopping price tag of $150 million. The 2005 inauguration of George Bush, which cost $42.5 million, pales in comparison. After the swearin in, the new U.S. President will lunch with Congress members and then partake in the inaugural parade.