Obama, Biden to meet Court

By Lyle Denniston
on Jan 13, 2009 at 10:30 pm

President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden will make a private visit to the Supreme Court Wednesday afternoon, meeting with the Justices and perhaps taking a tour, the Court announced Tuesday evening.   The press release issued by Public Information Officer Kathleen L. Arberg follows:

“At the invitation of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden will pay a pre-inaugural visit to the Supreme Court of the United States tomorrow afternoon, January 14.  This will mark the third time in recent history that a President-elect and Vice President-elect have visited the Court.  William Clinton and Al Gore visited on December 8, 1992.  Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush called on the Court on November 19, 1980.  The President-elect and Vice President-elect will join the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices in the ceremonial West Conference Room.  They may also join in a tour of the Court.        The visit is a private event.  There will be no photo or press availabilities.”

The meeting resulted from an invitation by Chief Justice Roberts.  In a letter to the President-elect Dec. 5, Roberts noted that, in past years, newly elected Presidents had gotten together with members of the Court to “become better acquainted.” He added: “The Associate Justices and I would be pleased to see that sporadic practice become a congenial tradition.  We cordially invite you and Vice-President-elect Biden to visit us at the Supreme Court.”