John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president at noon on January 20, 1961. In his inaugural address, he spoke of the need for all Americans to be active citizens, famously saying, 'Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.' He asked the nations of the world to join together to fight what he called the 'common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself'. He added: Much to the chagrin of his economic advisors, who wanted him to reduce taxes, Kennedy quickly agreed to a balanced budget pledge. This was needed in exchange for votes to expand the membership of the House Rules Committee in order to give the Democrats a majority in setting the legislative agenda.
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